Pain and Pleasure
by otaku6652
Summary: Erza Scarlet, abused by her ex-boyfriend meets Natsu Dragneel, a highschooler with a troubled past. Tensions rise following the return of old flames, will they be able to stay together among the chaos around them? AU, NatsuxErza
1. Introduction

"J-Jellal, w-what are you doing here?"

"We have some unfinished business, Erza."

Loosening his tie, Jellal shoved her against the wall and stared hungrily at her body; he licked his lips and roughly massaged her breast while wrapping one arm around her waist.

"N-no! Let go of me, I don't want this!"

"Shut up, woman. I'm going to make you MINE."

She cried for help as her skirt was ripped off and he began unzipping his pants, pleading and begging him to stop.

"Tell anyone and I will beat you so hard that your own mother won't be able to recognize you. Oh wait, you don't HAVE a mother!"

"NO, NO, AAAAAAAAHHH!"

Erza jolted up from her pillow, cold sweat trickling down her neck. It was that same nightmare again, even though it had already been two years since he left. Breathing hard, she looked over at the clock and moaned. She climbed out of bed and undressed to take a quick shower before going to school, skipping breakfast as usual. As the student council president, Erza absolutely could not be late for a single class or let anyone see her weaknesses.

* * *

"WAKE THE FUCK UP, NATSU! You're going to be late again and one day Gildarts is going to snap!"

"Okay, okay, gramps. Sheesh I'm getting up!"

Natsu threw on his school uniform and carefully wrapped his treasured scarf around his neck; it was the only thing he had ever received from his father, Igneel, who had left him when he was a child. After tossing his beloved cat, Happy, a fish, Natsu scarfed down three whole eggs, a plate of bacon and burped loudly.

"Ittekimasu!" Flashing his signature toothy grin, Natsu bounded out the door.

It was a miracle when Natsu managed to run into the classroom right before the bell rang. "Good job, doofus. Another tardy and the demon of a president will be on your ass, I bet you just lucked out and caught an early bus or something." "I'll have you know that I actually got up on time today, icepack!"

"Hothead."

"Snowman."

"Pointy-eyes."

"Droopy-eyes."

"EVERYONE SHUT UP CLASS IS BEGINNING!"

"Aye, Gildarts-sensei."

Natsu walked over to his seat to find that it was already occupied by a pale, blue-haired girl he had never seen before. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. This is Juvia; she's new here so I kindly allowed her to sit in _your_ seat. You don't mind, right currybag?" Smirking, Gray turned to face the board and left Natsu to stand there rather awkwardly.

Annoyed, Natsu shot back "Fine, but we all know its cause you wanna bang her! I mean, you've already stripped off your shirt." The whole class looked over at Gray, who was steadily becoming redder and redder, frantically trying to find his clothes. His momentary triumph was cut short when Natsu realized that the only seat open was the one at the front of the row, right next to Erza, also known as the demon president.

Natsu groaned, knowing that he now had to pretend to work in class or it was major punishment time. "Alright, let's begin our unit on the Fiore civil war of 1329! The conflict arose when government officials were indecisive of the political ties with a neighboring kingdom, otherwise known as…" The boring lecture continued for another 50 minutes; Natsu, who was struggling to stay awake, glanced to his right to see Erza scribbling down neat notes and paying rapt attention. 'This is going to be a long school year', thought Natsu.


	2. Warming Up

Lunchtime

"Eh? You brought cake for lunch again? But how do you not gain weight?"

"I am the student council president, and student council presidents do not accumulate fat no matter how much they eat!"

Lucy sweat-dropped at Erza's illogical declaration, opening her own bento to find a wonderfully prepared meal by her family's personal chef. She, Erza, Mirajane, Wendy, and Cana always ate lunch together but today they were joined by the new girl, Juvia.

"So, Juvia, what do you think of Gray? I noticed your blush when he offered you the seat next to him!"

The rest of the girls giggled and poked fun at her slightly obvious crush on the stripper, but Erza's mind took her elsewhere.

***Flashback***

"Hello, my name is Jellal. I guess we're sitting next to each other now!"

A middle school version of Erza smiled and nodded at him, twirling a strand of her short red hair. "My name is Erza, Erza Scarlet."

"Scarlet? That's a pretty name, just like your hair. You should grow it out!"

***Flashback End***

"Hello? Earth to Erza?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Erza forced a smile and joined their conversation about handsome boys at their school.

"Gomen, Lucy. What were you saying?"

"We were talking about boys! Gray is cool, I guess, no offence to Juvia but I prefer kinder ones."

"Like Loke? I see the way he looks at you." Mirajane teased.

"Ugh no way! Not that perverted player, I want a prince charming to sweep me off my feet."

"I agree, that ladies' man does nothing but stare at my boobs whenever we are next to each other."

"That might be because you unbutton your shirt so much, Cana."

'What happened to you, Jellal? You were so kind when we first met.' Unable to continue listening, Erza excused herself to the bathroom and went up to the roof for some air.

* * *

The boys were eating by the soccer field, arguing back and forth in a friendly way. Natsu poured excess amounts of Tabasco sauce into his spicy curry bun while Gray added more shaved ice to his snow cone; it was fathoming how they could eat that for lunch every day.

"Oi, get out of my spot popsicle."

"Last time I checked, we had no designated spots, flamebrain."

"Why you!"

Natsu tackled Gray and the two commenced fighting, a feat that happened nearly every time for the smallest reasons.

"Fighting during lunch is not man!"

The others attempted to intercept the rumble, only to be caught up in it as well. After getting kicked in the balls, Gray hobbled away to put some ice on it and without anyone to punch, Natsu yawned and left to go to his favorite place in the school.

Dashing up the stairs, Natsu immediately began to feel calmer as he stepped onto the roof, a light breeze flowing through the air. Walking forward, he saw a red blur in the corner of his eye and audibly gasped when Erza turned around to face him. Mesmerized, he watched as the wind blew her gorgeous hair back and felt heat rise in his cheeks as they grew closer in proximity.

"What are you doing here?"

Blinking, Natsu replied "I wanted some air, this is my favorite location."

Erza smiled softly, causing his heart to flutter a little. "Me too."

Together, they walked over to the edge and leaned on the railing, in a peaceful silence as they gazed down at the school grounds.

"M-my name is Natsu!" Erza looked up, startled by his sudden outburst.

"I know, you're name is listed on the tardy log nearly every day. I'm Erza."

"I know, you're the feared student council president." Chuckling, Erza stretched and spoke before leaving. "Class is starting soon, you better hurry or you'll face my wrath." 'She really isn't that bad when you see this side of her', thought Natsu as he surveyed her retreating figure, which by the way was flawless. He stood there for a few more minutes when it dawned on him that the bell was about to ring.

"Shiiiiit, and after she JUST warned me!" Darting as fast as he could back to class, Natsu's sharp ears caught wind of some gossip. "Did you hear? Jellal Fernandes is moving back, he's transferring to a school nearby called Crime Sorciere. I feel so bad for Erza-sempai, everyone knows what he did to her!" Confused and worried, Natsu brushed it out of his head as he practically leapt into his desk while the bell was ringing.

"Okay Natsu I'll let you off this time since you look exhausted from running, but you better have a good excuse."

"Sumimasen, Caprico-sensei. I was having lunch on the roof and it took longer than I thought to go up and down the stairs."

The teacher seemed satisfied and went into a deep discussion about trigonometric ratios and proportions, a subject he was rather passionate about unlike the rest of the class. After what seemed like forever, the students were let out of school and Natsu ambled over to his locker where Loke was hitting on a disgruntled Lucy. "Fuck off my friend, pervert." Natsu was naturally extremely protective of his female friends, perhaps because of the incident with his ex-girlfriend Lisanna. "Arigato, Natsu! I have go home right away; my father needs me to attend an important business meeting with him." (Lucy's family owned one of the wealthiest companies in Fiore, Heartfilia Konzern.) "Okay, I'll walk home with Gray. Bye!" Grabbing his book bag, Natsu headed to the main gate to wait for his friend.

To his surprise, Gray showed up with the new girl, Julie or something. "Sorry Natsu, but Juvia was worried that she'd get lost on the way home and well…it-it would be bad if she did so..." "Yeah fine, whatever." Sighing, Natsu proceeded to continue by himself when he noticed something that made his blood boil.

A blue-haired man was leaning dangerously close to Erza, when she tried to brush past him he seized her wrist. Hard. Storming over, Natsu placed a hand on Erza's shoulder and glared at him until he left. "What was that about, are you alright?" On the brink of tears, Erza muttered "It's nothing" and ran home, ignoring Natsu's shouting.

'Is that the Jellal those girls were gossiping about?' Thinking hard, Natsu accidently bumped into a random guy in the street. "Sorry." He said and kept walking when the man reached out and grasped his arm. "Why the hell did you bump into me, kid?" Agitated, he shoved Natsu away and narrowed his eyes.

Sadly, Natsu was not in the mood to be messed with. With two punches and a kick, he slammed the guy into a tree before his mind could even process what he had done. "Monster!" The man yelled, holding his cracked ribs, and limped away in fright. 'That's right, monster. I'm a monster.' When Igneel abandoned him, Natsu took up street fighting to release his anguish and anger; it was because of his strength and fiery temper that he was nicknamed "Salamander". All of this ended when he started dating Lisanna, who was like an innocent fairy in the way she could calm and soothe him.

* * *

"Tadaima." There was no reply when Erza entered her spacious apartment complex, mostly since she was the only person living there. Erza was an orphan, she never knew her parents and grew up living off of the fortune they left her, although it was not enough to let her buy a mansion like Lucy's. Sinking into her couch, Erza closed her eyes and tried not to brood over her conversation with Jellal.

She had been strolling across the sidewalk, on her way back from school when she saw him. At first, she thought it was just her imagination. But then he went over and _touched _her, amplifying her shock and sending shivers down her spine. "I missed you, Erza. I hope we can pick back up where we left off." Shaking her head, Erza tried to escape when he clasped her wrist with such force that it was in physical pain. Then, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and watched Jellal back off and leave, staring into Natsu's concerned eyes, Erza panicked and bolted.

_Those eyes_. Natsu's onyx orbs made her feel safe, reassured. His muscular body rippled with courage and authority, but a good kind of authority that made you feel protected. Oh how she wanted to stay beside him, feel his presence, interlock her arm with his…"Woah, Erza! What are you thinking, you barely know this guy.", she told herself while shaking out of her daydream.

* * *

Natsu was slumped in an armchair with his cat resting on his lap; he had been staying with Makarov, or as he called "gramps", since he was eleven. The old man was kind enough to take in the child, who had been wandering by himself and stealing food to eat; Natsu would remain grateful to him until the day he died.

Without anything really to do, Natsu found himself contemplating his day, which lead him to speculate about Erza. 'That red hair really is beautiful; I want to stroke it while holding her close to me…'

* * *

The Next Day

"After a night of drinking, I have decided to assign you all a project!" The class groaned at Gildarts' announcement. "Aw come on, it'll be fun! You can choose a partner and I will assign you a topic to present on, of course, it will have to do with the Fiore civil war."

Natsu glanced around the room, Gray was talking to a very happy Juvia which probably meant he asked her to work together, Lucy and Levy were busy asking Gildarts about a topic they had an idea on, Mirajane looked like she was asking a drunk Cana to be partners, Alzack and Bisca were blushing and holding hands, and Elfman was working with Loke. "Hey Romeo, wanna be partners?" "Ah, gomen. I just asked Wendy." Putting on his best smile, he looked over at Erza and was delighted to see her nod in agreement until she said "If you skimp on the work I will tear your fingers off one by one."

"Does everyone have their partners? Great! Gray and Juvia, you guys have naval warfare; Lucy and Levy, yes you can do the impact of literature on the rebellions; Mirajane and Cana, I think the economic downfall of _alcohol _production would suit you best; Alzack and Bisca, go research gunpowder and its effects; Elfman and Loke, let's see you research the role of _women_ during this time period; Romeo and Wendy, the benefits of medicine; and last but not least Natsu and Erza, you guys can have the political institutions. You will write a report about your topic and present it with your partner in two weeks, get started!"

"Oh come one, out of all of them we get the most boring one?"

"Don't complain, Natsu. I want to begin working right away, meet me at the library after school."

Natsu's fears were confirmed: Erza was going to work him to the bone until they finished the project weeks before it was due.

"Ha ha, well at least you'll have it done early!" Lucy tried to comfort her lazy, chronic procrastinator of a friend. "Oh please, with his work ethic Erza will have his head by the end of today!" Gray, on the other hand, did no such thing. "Yeah, yeah whatevs. I better get going, see ya!" The poor boy trudged out of school and headed over to the library, a completely foreign place to him.

"Good, you're here. Come with me to the resource section and we can commence reading, they have several books about the war and I'm sure we can find a surplus of information about the government at that time!" "W-wait, read?!" Erza cheerfully dragged the horrified Natsu over to a table and dropped four thick, heavy textbooks on his head.

Natsu was amazed at how diligently Erza worked, leafing through the pages and jotting down important facts and summarizing each chapter. However, there was still an insane amount of material to cover and it was nighttime by the time they finished.

"I'll walk you home." He immediately offered as the pair exited. "Thanks, Natsu. That's quite gentlemanly of you." Natsu jokingly held out his arm and was surprised when Erza took it, turning pink at her touch. The way back was quiet, but pleasant while they walked in harmony.

"We're here, thanks again, Natsu. Goodnight." Erza hesitated a moment before reaching up and giving him a peck on the cheek. Heart pounding at her bold gesture, she dashed inside before Natsu could respond.

Natsu stood there, fervently blushing, and casually marched home with a huge smile on his face; he hadn't felt this way since Lisanna…"Goodnight, Erza" He whispered.


	3. Rivalries

***Flashback-2 years ago***

"Erza, did Jellal hurt you?"

"N-no, not at all, Simon! I got these bruises falling down the stairs."

"…Your apartment has only one floor. That's it, I'm going to go set that jackass straight."

"NO! Simon…he's strong…please, I'll break up with him for good this time."

"Promise?"

"Promise." The 15 year old Erza felt a pang in her heart when she said that, Jellal would never let her go no matter how much she declared their relationship over. Heavenly Tower Middle School was her sanctuary, a place where he couldn't hurt her, a place filled with her friends: Sho, Millianna, Wally, and her best friend Simon. Principal Rob was wary of Jellal, always keeping a special eye out for here; he was like a grandfather to Erza.

Simon…Simon cared for her more than anyone else, Erza loved spending time with him and was devastated when he left to study abroad. He was the only person who knew of Jellal's abuse and it was him who constantly threatened to call the cops, and it was him who fell in love with Erza from the moment they met.

***Flashback End***

Erza yawned and woke up with the sun on her face, feeling better than she had in a long time. With a spring in her step and a newfound lightness in her heart, she gulped down some coffee and set off for school.

* * *

"N-Natsu, is this a dream? Are you actually going to school EARLY?!" Makarov could not believe his eyes, Natsu actually looked less disheveled and almost cheerful about waking up in the morning. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to Erza about some project ideas I came up with." Now Makarov was positive that it was an illusion, Natsu never gave a damn about schoolwork. "Alright, brat! What are you hiding, are you selling weed or something at school?!" "Nope, just wanna get to class early today!" Without delay, he bounded out the door, leaving an extremely confused old man staring after him.

* * *

Sliding into his seat ten minutes before the bell, Natsu was ecstatic to see that he had actually beaten ERZA in arriving early. After about a minute, the red-head walked in to nearly faint in astonishment, were her eyes deceiving her? Was that NATSU DRAGNEEL sitting calmly at his desk BEFORE the student council president?!

"Ohayo, Erza! I came up with an idea for the project last night, we should present the report as a SKIT, no one will be expecting the most boring topic to be so entertaining. I thought I could play the corrupt monarch while you played the rebellious citizens and we can act out a fight!"

"That's...actually a pretty good idea, but allow me to improve on your plans. The main focus is on the political institutions, not the war so instead of the angry citizens I could be a politician from the south, challenging your reign."

The two continued discussing their ideas at their seats until the bell rang and Gildarts clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Good morning, class! I am pleased to announce that we have a new student today, after graduating Heavenly Tower he spent two years studying in America…" 'C-could it be?' Erza wondered. "His name is Simon Mikazuchi!"

The boy stepped forward and many girls squealed in happiness; he was tall, tanned, and muscular with soft brown locks and warm brown eyes. He scanned the room and stopped dead when his eyes met Erza's. "Erza…" "S-Simon?" "ERZA!" Simon ran over and embraced Erza in a hug, relieved to see that she was okay. Erza gladly returned it, wrapping her arms around his neck and whispered "I can't believe you came back."

Natsu, however, was not pleased to see this random guy waltz in and give HIS Erza a big fat hug. Jealousy stirred the beast within him, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, Natsu kept from punching the guy in the face with difficulty. Who the hell was this dude and what kind of history does he have with Erza? Is he her boyfriend? Did she just fucking forget about me? If that bastard doesn't take his hands off her right now, I WILL.

Luckily for the oblivious Simon, Erza let go and sat back down, slightly embarrassed to have displayed such emotion in front of the whole class.

"Hmmm it looks like there aren't any seats left, Mikazuchi." 'Does that mean he can leave?' Natsu thought bitterly. "There's an empty space on Erza's left so I'll go ask Scorpio-sensei if we can have one of his desks." 'NO, no way in hell is he going to sit next to Erza!' Gripping the edge of his desk, Natsu bit down hard on his bottom lip until it bled.

Natsu began noticing the tiniest things, Simon wistfully watching Erza, Erza catching his eye and smiling a little, rouge tinting Simon's cheeks when she spoke. And with every action, Natsu felt himself growing angrier and more possessive. Determined to make it clear to everyone who Erza belonged to, he decided to ask her out on a date loudly and in front of Simon.

* * *

_BRIIIIIIIIING!_ The bell signaled the end of first period and a short break before the next class. Gathering up his nerve, Natsu stomped over to Erza, who was leaning against the door frame chatting with Simon. "Erza, will go out to dinner with me?!" He half shouted while pushing Simon aside. "U-um, okay…I guess, Natsu. But Simon just asked me to go to the park with him." 'That cheapskate, the park?!' Natsu refrained from saying it aloud and forced a calm look on his face. "Oh okay, its fine just make sure it's scheduled on a different day." Now determined to win her over, Natsu shifted his view and glowered at Simon "It's war, big-time." Simon purposefully bumped into Natsu and murmured just loud enough for him to hear "You bet."

Completely changing his demeanor, Simon turned and sheepishly smiled at Erza "Could you show me around the school? I looked at your schedule and we just so happen to have the exact same classes!"

"Really? What a coincidence, sure!"

Burning with anger and tenacity, Natsu unleashed his sentiments onto his locker, kicking it with so much force that the door bent 90 degrees. "Woah there, Natsu. What's gotten you so riled up?" Lucy inquired, concerned about his sanity. Grinning, Gray explained "He's jealous because Simon and Erza are really close, I overheard you asking Erza out and it looks like it's a battle over who can host a better date."

"A battle over who can host a better date? That sounds like so much drama, why can't something like that happen to me!" For the rest of the break, Lucy reflected on her pitiful dating life while Gray endlessly jeered at Natsu about his new competition.

Next period, Natsu could not keep his mind off of Simon and Erza. He didn't have class with her this period, or the one after lunch. That meant he wasn't there to make sure Simon stayed away from Erza and the thought that he might be wooing her right now drove Natsu crazy.

* * *

"Erza, I know it's only been two years but it feels like so long since I saw your face! Your hair is absolutely dazzling at its current length, although I kind of miss the cute little Erza with shoulder length hair." Simon started off with compliments, but he had a much darker topic in the back of his head.

"Are you saying that I'm not cute now?" Erza teased.

"No, you're not. You're stunning." Blushing, Erza was about to make a retort about him when Simon continued.

"More importantly, I wanted to ask you about Jellal. How are you?" Genuinely concerned, Simon leaned in closer.

"I'm okay now, really. It's just…"

"What, Erza you can tell me anything."

"J-Jellal's back, he just transferred to a school nearby and I-I saw him."

"Has he changed?"

Tears began streaming down her face as she choked out "No"

"Erza I'm so sorry, but know that I will protect you if he comes anywhere near you." Simon drew Erza into a hug, gently patting her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. I know you're scared but just have faith that I'll be here watching over you." 'Because I love you' he thought.

* * *

Date #1- Natsu

Natsu stared at the mirror, slicking back his hair with some water and fixing his tie; he had made special reservations at a fancy Italian restaurant that multiple reviews online claimed it to be romantic. Natsu was dressed in a black suit with a pink undershirt and his trusty white scarf, hoping to look good he had asked Lucy for some fashion advice. He checked the clock, it was 7 pm and Erza should be arriving any minute. Almost immediately, the doorbell rang and Natsu rushed forward to greet her, not surprised by her punctuality.

Opening the door, Natsu's nose threatened to bleed at the sight of her. Erza wore a yellow dress with two straps going around her neck and ruffles at the bottom, long yellow gloves reached halfway up her elbow, and her hair was curled and swept into an elegant ponytail leaving two wavy strands framing her face. Speechless with awe, Natsu managed to say "You look beautiful."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Natsu. Where are we going to eat?"

"You'll see."

Erza gasped when Natsu coolly lead her inside and pulled out a chair for her to sit on. "I can't believe you made reservations for us here, I heard it's expensive."

A young, blond, dark-skinned waiter came over and addressed them. "Good evening, what would you like to order?"

"The garden salad looks amazing."

"A steak, medium done please." Natsu secretly wanted to eat everything on the menu, but that would look bad in front of Erza.

The waiter wrote down their orders and went to the back of the restaurant, pulling out a cellphone. "Hello? It's me, Sho. Yes Jellal-san, she's here and with some guy."

While waiting for their food, Natsu and Erza conversed aimlessly about everything. "And then I chowed down the entire bowl and scared the hell out of everyone in the store!" Erza burst out laughing at Natsu's tale, she had never felt so light and at ease with someone before.

"Sorry for the wait, here's your food." The waiter, or Sho, appeared and set two dishes and two glasses of water down in front of them with a wicked glint in his eyes.

Natsu was about to take a sip when he smelled something funky coming from the "water", his sharp senses never failed him when it came to these things. "Erza, don't drink the water."

"What? Why, I'm thirsty."

"Ummm it's unfitting to drink such a plain beverage at such an up class restaurant; I'll go order us some champagne." Making sure to call over a _different_ server, Natsu gave him the water and asked for some champagne instead. This was ripping a hole in his wallet, but Natsu wanted to give Erza the best possible date ever.

"Good call on the champagne, it goes perfectly with my salad." Completely unaware of the danger Natsu avoided, Erza continued with the conversation. "But I must ask, why did you invite me to such a fancy place out of the blue?"

"It wasn't out of the blue, I was jealous of Simon and wanted to make it clear that I like you. Are you mad?"

"Oh Natsu, there's no need to be jealous, Simon and I are just friends."

"I think he wants to change that."

"Well even if he does, my heart has already been taken by a very handsome man."

"WHAT? Who the hell is he?!"

"You, silly!"

"Oh…" Feeling stupid, Natsu pushed his luck and went a little further. "I want you to cancel your date with Simon."

"Why? I already told you that I didn't feel anything for him."

"I know, and I know this makes me look like a jerk but I just can't stand the thought. What if something happens? Make up an excuse or better yet, just tell him that you chose me over him."

"Simon is still my friend, Natsu. It would be very suspicious if I canceled on him right after having a date with you, just know that I won't develop feelings for him."

"Fine, I resign. But if he tries anything, I will beat the crap outta him!"

'It's not Simon you should worry about.' Brushing the thought away, Erza decided to change the subject.

"How's the steak?"

"It's good, wanna have some?" Natsu cut off a piece and held it out on a fork, motioning for Erza to eat it. Taking a bite, Erza replied that it tasted good and offered Natsu some of her salad, with the same fork. After a few seconds, it dawned on them that they had just shared an indirect kiss and both parties flushed redder than Erza's hair.

* * *

"Aaaaaahhhhh I'm so full, that was a great meal." Natsu was lying, the steak was tiny and he could normally scarf down five times as much.

"Yes, but this bill is outrageous. Would you like to go dutch?"

"It's alright, Lucy said that a gentleman always pays for the first date. We can split the bill on our next one!"

"N-next one?"

"Yeah, since you're my girlfriend now we can go on lots of dates!"

"Your girlfriend?"

Natsu was crushed "You don't want to be my girlfriend?"

"T-that's not what I meant, of course I do!"

A big, toothy smile erupted on Natsu's face as he paid for the food and got up, offering Erza his arm, this time for real. Together they strolled outside, taking their time to enjoy each other's company. "Tonight was fun, I'm really happy that it worked out." Erza stated while shivering a little from the cold. Natsu instantly noticed and took off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She drew it close to her, feeling the warmth spread into her body. Resting her head on his arm, Erza couldn't help but giggle in glee at how impeccable the night turned out to be.

Sho hid behind a tree, watching them from afar, he was getting frustrated when his phone rang. Jellal's voice came out "Do you have them?"

"No, for some reason the poison didn't work, they're just walking and laughing. Should I go and attack them?"

"That boy, I did research on him. His street name is Salamander and he's a lot stronger than you think, it looks like I will have to see for myself if he is truly a threat to my plan."


	4. The Attack

Date #2- Simon

It was a beautiful day in Magnolia Park; the sun was peeking out from the clouds, round drops of dew sat on lush green grass, and magnificent flowers reached the peak of their bloom. A bold red rose swayed in the gentle breeze, catching Simon's eye. Ignoring park rules, he bent down and plucked it from the stem without touching any thorns.

"This rose, it's just like you, Erza. Beautiful and vivid yet covered with protective spikes, but if you know just how to handle it…" Cupping her face with one hand, Simon stuck the flower into Erza's hair.

Erza politely took it out and set the rose back in the bush. "Thanks, Simon but I usually don't wear red near my hair because it clashes with it. Anyways, I need to talk to you about-"

"It doesn't clash, your hair is just far too brilliant for anything else to compare. Erza, you don't need any pretty flowers to look like one. You're my rose."

"I-I'm not."

"Erza? Don't be silly of course you are."

Erza took a deep breath, the sooner she got it over with the less it would hurt him. "That's what I need to talk to you about. I'm not yours, I'm Natsu's."

Hurt and disappointment flashed across Simon's face. "You've never been and you'll never be mine, no matter how much I lo…"

"Simon, I'm sorry I-I…please…are we still friends? I really care for you, just not…"

"Of course, I was your friend all these years even when you were with Jellal, wasn't I? At least I won't have to worry about you getting hurt with Natsu."

"I'm glad. And one day you'll meet a girl who understands you better than me, and you can be truly happy once more. Since clearly, someone as kind and loving as you deserves a long, happy life."

* * *

"NATSUUUUUUUU!" Lucy burst into the classroom, desperate for gossip. "Is it true that you and Erza are dating?"

"Hell yeah, Luce! Spread the word around school cause I don't want any more competition, jealousy seriously sucks." The energetic, bubbly gossip monger didn't need to be told twice before going over and squealing with excitement with Mirajane. A certain brunette was not so pleased with all the hubbub, staring sadly at the board.

Noticing this, Erza pulled Natsu over. "Go and be nice with him, Natsu. Simon might start to feel better if he make some friends."

"Does he have to be friends with me, I'm not his biggest fan."

"You have a lot of connections with other guys at the school, he can use you as a stepping stone. Besides, I already told you that we are just friends."

"Great, I just love being a stepping stone for people in love with my girlfriend."

"Now!" A demonic glare came from Erza as she towered over Natsu with authority, cracking her knuckles.

"AYE SIR!" Natsu squeaked, and put on his best friendly face while walking to Simon's desk. "Hey man, don't be so down about it. Wanna hang out with me and my buds at lunch?"

Surprised by his sudden generosity, Simon hesitantly agreed.

"ALRIGHT CLASS WHERE THE FUCK IS MY DAUGHTER?!" Gildarts sent the door crashing with a kick, looking enraged and terrified. No one seemed to want to tell the moody man that Cana was sleeping in a hotel completely wasted with a huge hangover from an all-night drinking binge at a local pub.

"She could have been abducted by crazy rapist terrorists! Everyone pack your bags, we are going on a search and rescue mission!"

"Gildarts-sensei, what about our lesson?" The timid, nerdy Wendy shyly asked.

"FUCK THE LESSON THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT FOOLS! ANYONE WHO OPTS OUT CAN RECEIVE A BIG FAT F!" Sighing, the class trailed after a hyped up Gildarts.

After about twenty minutes of wandering around watching Gildarts interrogate random strangers, he miraculously managed to track her down. In room 224, Cana Alberona was lying face down on the carpet in her underwear holding a bottle of booze and a pair of boxers. Although this was not anything new for Natsu and the others, Gildarts was frozen in place with shock.

A voice from the crowd shouted "C'mon, let's go. That geezer probably forgot all about us." The class soon dispersed and went home, leaving an unmoving man in their wake.

* * *

"_Ma-aete warasete miseru, gomen ne watashi"_ Softly singing her favorite song, Erza strode down the street. Normally, she would stay in school to set a good example as the student council president but today she was exhausted from staying up all night rehearsing her script for the project due next week.

Reaching into her purse, Erza stiffened as two large hands grabbed her waist and threw her into the side of an alley. She struggled against their grip and surveyed her attackers; she recognized one as the waiter from her date with Natsu, the other one was strangely blocky and wore sunglasses and a hat. "Who are you and what do you want?" The blond one scoffed and pulled out a knife, leaning in closer he drawled "Why I am positively offended, don't you remember your old pals?"

Upon further examination, Erza gasped in betrayal. "Sho, Wally, why?! I thought we were on good terms, what could Jellal have said to drive you to this?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, like you don't know!" His hand tightened on the knife and Sho slowly cut it across Erza's left arm, but that was not enough to satisfy him. Running his eyes up and down her body, Sho smirked. "Our little Erza has grown quite voluptuous, hasn't she?"

Erza's eyes widened, this was not happening again, swelling with defiance she kneed Sho in the stomach at the same moment her shirt was ripped open. "Get AWAY from me!" Shrieking with all her might, Erza kicked Wally's balls and caught her fist on Sho's lip, ready to put her martial arts training to good use.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Sho brought the hilt of the knife down on her head, watching in glee while Erza stumbled and collapsed to her hands and knees. "Bow to me like a dog and I might not kill you!"

'Natsu…where are you?' Feeling dizzy and weak, Erza prayed that he had heard her cries.

Munching on his lunch with vigor, Natsu was alerted by a girl's scream and glanced over to see what was going on. At the sight of ruby red hair that could only belong to one person, he dropped the half-eaten curry bread on the ground and rushed over in a flurry.

Two armed men were standing over his Erza, who was on her knees in pain. Anger surged through him and Natsu threw a hard punch at the blocky man, effectively knocking him back. The blond guy charged, holding out a sharp knife; Natsu intercepted with one hand holding his wrist in place while he used the other hand to yank the weapon away and toss it onto the road with a clatter.

Running out of options, blondie sent a fist at Natsu's stomach. Still holding onto his wrist, Natsu dodged and tripped him, causing the man to slam into the sidewalk. Natsu punched his chest, over and over until he fell unconscious.

Coming back to his senses, blocky whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger at Natsu's head. Hearing the gunshot, Erza let out a blood-curdling shriek.

Both of them was shocked when Natsu leapt out of the way with lightning fast reflexes and stood completely unharmed. Shaking with fear, the man fired multiple times, shaking more as Natsu evaded every single bullet. The last one grazed his side but it was as if he didn't even notice. Blocky tried again to hear a click, it was out of ammunition.

Balling up his hands, Natsu pushed off from the ground and took blocky out with a single hit. He took Erza's hand to help her stand, but after a few wobbly steps she fainted. Worried, Natsu lifted her limp form up bridal style and wondered whether to call an ambulance. The injury didn't look too serious so he decided to take her back home. 'Damn it, where was her house again?'

* * *

Erza awoke on a couch with a bandage on her arm and an icepack on her head, sitting up she saw Natsu lounging in a chair next to her drinking Tabasco sauce. "Yo, you're up. I was starting to get worried."

"Is this your house? You could have just taken me home, my keys were in my bag."

"Ehhhh I didn't want to barge in and mess up your stuff so I brought you over to my place." In truth, Natsu just forgot where it was.

"Well thank you for taking care of me, I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No problem, but I thought it was weird that someone would attack you in broad daylight for no reason."

"Actually they did have a reason. I guess you've heard of Jellal by now, a lot of people know that he was bad to me but do you know the specifics?" Confused, Natsu shook his head.

"In my senior year of middle school, Jellal and I started dating. When we first met he was so sweet and charming, it seemed as though he would not harm a fly. Things went well for weeks, but then one day he got mad and slapped me. It continued more frequently and more violently, I had to wear sweaters in the heat of summer to hide my bruises. I was not the Erza you guys all know back then, I was lonely, shy, and soft, and it was easy for him to push me around. Simon was my best friend, he was the only one who knew and it took hours of pleading to keep him from beating the crap out of Jellal and calling the police. I was finally ready to come out and tell my other friends around the end of the school year with Simon's help. But then Jellal threatened to murder them one by one if I told so after graduation I packed my bags and ran away to Magnolia where I enrolled in Fairy High. Simon wanted to come with me but he got an offer to study in America that I would not let him refuse, Jellal told vicious lies about me to my other friends and he left to do god knows what with them and…"

Sickened by how cruel a middle schooler could be, Natsu motioned for her to keep going. Erza's bottom lip quivered and tears silently trickled down her cheeks. "And now he's here. Those two guys who seized me were Sho and Wally, my friends. Or used to be friends, now they hate me. I don't understand why Jellal would send them instead of coming himself, this behavior is unusual for him and I'm….I'm scared, Natsu."

Her voice broke and Natsu engulfed her in an embrace, running his fingers through her hair. "Since it's confession time, I suppose I should tell you about my past as well."

"When I was eight years old, my father Igneel disappeared without a trace. For three years I slept out on the streets, stealing food and money to survive. Makarov Dreyer was benevolent enough to take me in and raise me as his own, but the negativity and anguish never went away. I took up fighting gangs and earned myself the title Salamander, maybe you've heard of him, the beast without morality or control. This side of me diminished with my girlfriend Lisanna, she was the one who brought me out of it and helped me move forward with my life…I owe everything to her…"

"What happened, did you two break up? I'm sorry, that was intrusive."

"She died. Two years ago." Natsu said flatly, without a trace of emotion. "Natsu, I-"

Erza was cut off by someone clapping, a cold voice drawled from the corner. "Isn't this sweet? I hate to ruin your little feelings circle but I suppose it's time for me to make an entrance." A blue-haired, hazel eyed man with a strange tattoo over his right eye sauntered out.

"Jellal, what are you doing here and how did you find us?!"

"Easy there, my ferocious redhead. Those two dimwits were supposed to follow you and give me your location, but it looks like they got a tad carried away. I honestly couldn't give a batshit about Salamander's house, that boy is simply a minor complication in my plans."

Furious, Natsu bared his teeth and rose from his chair. "You can get the hell out of my house and stay away from my girlfriend, you bastard! I know everything you did and there's nothing stopping me from calling the cops or better yet just taking you out now."

"There is no need for me to get my hands soiled with your filth, I got what I came for. I hope to see you soon, Erza. Until then, have a wonderful evening, it may be one of your last." Sliding open a window, Jellal nimbly leapt out and was nowhere to be found.

"I'm dialing 911."

"Don't bother Natsu, he always finds a way to escape and spin us into the bad guys. I have to go home, you should get some rest."

"Erza…" "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

* * *

"We apologize for our misconduct, Jellal-san!" Sho and Wally knelt before him, lowering their heads and averting their eyes. "Yes, you should be. Don't ever defy my orders again, got it? Now, Millianna."

A petite girl with brown hair oddly shaped like cat ears pulled out a long, thick rope somewhat resembling a cat tail. She raised it and whipped them on the back, cheerfully smiling while they grunted in pain.

"You said the boy was strong, explain."

"H-hai, Jellal-san. He was able to dodge a round of bullets and knock out Wally with one blow, my best efforts could not so much as scratch him."

"Interesting, very interesting." Jellal held a chess piece shaped like a dragon in his hand, sitting on a throne and studying the chess board in front of him. There were many other non-traditional pieces, such as a cat, a katana, and a knight. The room was dimly lit, but it appeared to resemble an abandoned classroom with most of the furniture taken out.


	5. Nostalgia

The sound of thunder rumbled through the air, rain pounded on the roof, and a flash of lightning sent poor little Happy running into Natsu's arms. Last night at approximately 2am, the power went out in every single home on the south side of Magnolia. With nothing really to do, Natsu held the frightened cat in his arms and fondly recalled the day they met.

_It was a bright, sunny day. Natsu and Lisanna raced through the trees screaming like children, the first day of summer vacation had begun. "I bet you can't catch me!" "I bet I can!" With a burst of speed the young Natsu tackled her from behind, causing her to topple and roll down a hill, dragging him with her. The two were covered in grass, leaves, and dirt, at sight of each other they burst out laughing. "You look like a monkey!" "Is that the best you can come up with?" "Fine then, you look like Sasquatch just banged a mossy oak tree!" Brushing off her dress, Lisanna got up and pulled Natsu to his feet before taking off back into the forest. "Oi, wait for me!" Chasing after her, Natsu spotted a small white box floating down a stream. He reached out and took it into his arms, then caught up to Lisanna. "Look what I found, I bet there's treasure inside!" Lifting up the lid, they were delighted to see a tiny blue kitten snoring inside. It yawned and opened its eyes, jumping onto Natsu's head and purring. "What should we name it?" "Hmmm, how about Happy!" Lisanna scratched her head, "Happy?" "Yeah, it was a really happy day when we found him and he's making us happy right now!" Natsu beamed at her, taking her hand and walking forward. "You know, Natsu, I almost got lost. Hey…if I disappear again sometime…will you come and find me, Natsu?" "Huh? Yeah, sure."_

"I promised her I would find her…where are you, Lisanna?" Perking up at her name, Happy looked up hopefully. "No, Happy…your mom isn't here."

"_Now we can be a family!"_

"_A…family?"_

"_Yeah, we're the mom and dad and Happy is our child!"_

"_Isn't that a little childish?"_

"_What? No it's not!"_

"_We're fifteen and playing house."_

"_So what if we are?"_

"_Normal fifteen year olds don't play house with a cat."_

"_Are you saying that I'm not normal?"_

"_No…sorry. I don't want to fight."_

_"It's normal for families to have a fight sometime, but what's important is you make up. So no matter what happens, Happy is still our son!"_

"_And I'm his dad."_

"_Yup, so you have to protect your wife and son."_

"I guess I broke two promises…"

_Lisanna and her two siblings dragged Natsu out shopping with them, claiming that he had to bond with his future family. He complained about the heat, prompting Elfman to go buy some ice cream for them across the street. Elfman was halfway across the road when a car swerved in out of nowhere, clearly not stopping. "ELF-NII CHAN!" Holding out her thin arms, Lisanna leapt between him and the car. "NO!" Mirajane rushed over to her broken body, tears streaming down her face, she held her hand and begged Lisanna to live. "Mira-nee…you know…" Managing a shaky smile, Lisanna opened her eyes for the last time. _

"You were always had a smile on your face, right down to the day you died." Natsu was now silently crying. He remembered what she had said when Elfman's beloved parakeet died, when they accompanied him to its grave. _"All living things eventually die; it's unavoidable. But as long as you remember, it will live on in your heart forever." _

"I'll never forget the days we spent laughing together, Lisanna."

* * *

Slipping into a black dress, Erza got ready to leave. Today was Principal Rob's anniversary for his death, he was the closest thing to family she had ever had, always being there for her and lending support whenever he could. Some of the students were jealous of the close bond they shared, claiming that she received special treatment; Erza knew that was not true, the man was as fair as he was compassionate.

Before entering middle school, Erza was as cold and cynical as a young girl could be. She was too young to live on her own, even with money so the government forced her to live in a crappy orphanage until she turned twelve. The other kids were mean because of her wealth, with no one to rely on Erza locked away her emotions.

Rob saw through her façade and invited her to have lunch with him, where he broke through her wall of defense. Whenever Erza had a problem, she would go to him for advice; whenever she felt down, he would cheer her up with some corny old jokes. Under his care she flourished and branched out, making friends and becoming a whole new person. He never knew of her past, his actions were out of goodness instead of pity.

With only an umbrella to shield her from the rain, Erza stood numbly in front of his tombstone.

**Robert Grant James: a loving figure to all his students, 1936-2011**

_On a regular old Tuesday, a group of masked people broke into the school carrying guns. All the students were either confined in their classrooms or hiding in the auditorium, Erza and her friends were sitting near the stage with Rob. The armed men shot everyone in the halls and held the auditorium hostage for days, threatening to blow it up if the police came near them. Starving and terrified, Erza decided to lead a break out, they could not sit around and wait for help. The mass of students and staff crashed open the door, some immediately fled while others fought. There were much more of them than the intruders, but the intruders carried guns. The police quickly came and ushered out the people, but the scene was chaotic. One of the men pulled out several hand grenades, preparing for a mass slaughter. To save everyone in the school, Rob used his own body to contain the explosion._

She remembered his words to her that fated day, when she confessed to him about her past in an orphanage and her current struggle with Jellal. _"I never thought I could see a smile like that, in a place like yours... freedom is in your heart."_ Unable to hold in her grief anymore, Erza fell to her knees and sobbed.

"Thank you…for making me feel loved and accepted. I had never understood what parents or grandparents were like until you came and opened my heart."

* * *

**This is why I should not listen to emotional Fairy Tail osts while trying to write, sorry for the short and depressing chapter.**


	6. Love

Running. Running was the only thing he could do. Run to the hospital as fast as his legs could carry him. He had been in class when the school counselor came in with a somber look on her face. _"Natsu Dragneel? There's a call for you. Your guardian, Mr. Dreyar, is in the hospital."_ She didn't have a chance to continue before he started running.

"Are you Mr. Dragneel? Mr. Dreyar is in room 7, second floor." A small, wrinkled old man lay on a bed hooked up to multiple tubes and wires while a man in a white coat stood next to him. "Ah, you must be Natsu. It seems that he suffered a stroke on his way to your school, in his hand was a paper bag with curry bread and tabasco sauce. I'll leave you two alone."

His cellphone rang, it was Erza. "Natsu, are you alright? Do you need me to come over?" No response. "I'm coming over."

Within half an hour, a scarlet haired girl opened the door and beckoned Natsu to go outside with her. "Tell me what happened."

"My lunch… I-I left it at home… He was bringing it to me… a stroke…"

"Oh my god, Natsu I'm so sorry. He'll be alright, he'll be fine. Come here, you must be devastated." Natsu began trudging across the hallway, walking past his girlfriend and slamming his head against the wall.

"Natsu?"

"Me…it was because of me…"

"W-what are you talking about? No it wasn't."

"It was because I forgot my lunch. He left the house to deliver it to me. He had a stroke on the way. My carelessness caused his hospitalization."

"Natsu, listen to me. You're worried and confused, right now you just need to-"

"ARE YOU NOT LISTENING?! IT IS BECAUSE OF ME! EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF ME!"

"NATSU!"

"Lisanna…I never told you how she died…"

"That doesn't matter right now, take a deep breath and-"

"I was hot so Elfman went to get ice cream. A car was about to hit him but Lisanna jumped in between them. I did nothing. I stood there. I did NOTHING while her body was crushed. I did NOTHING while Mirajane ran to her. I did NOTHING while the ambulance took her away. I DID NOTHING!"

"Natsu…"

"My father, Igneel, he abandoned me, you know? Oh yeah, you do know. I came home from school and he was gone! POOF! Eight years old and fatherless! Why? That's a good question, what is it about me that would make a man leave his son like that?! I'm tired of everyone around me fucking leaving! WHERE ARE YOU IGNEEL, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE LISANNA, WHY IS GRAMPS IN THE HOSPITAL?!"

"Stop it, Natsu."

"Why am I so useless?! Why does everyone I care about end up leaving? What did I do? What's wrong with me? HELL I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO MY MOM IS! This has nothing to do with gramps, why can't I stop?!"

"Because after all the hardships you've endured, this is the last straw. Everything you bottled up is overflowing, trust me I went through the same grief."

"TRUST?! Lisanna trusted me and I let her die! Otou-san…why did you leave? Jii-chan…please don't leave me alone! I just don't want to be alone anymore!"

"You're not alone! You have all your friends, and me! Never feel alone, Natsu."

"BUT I DO! I feel alone when I look at Happy and see Lisanna calling him her son with that smile she always had, I feel alone when I pick up my scarf and remember the day Igneel gave it to me and how happy I was, now I'm going to feel alone when I walk in the house and there's no one to greet me and ask how my day was and nag me about cleaning by room and call me a brat!"

"You don't know that, your grandfather still has a chance."

"If I hadn't complained so much Lisanna would still be here. If I hadn't been so forgetful gramps would still be kicking. If I had been a better son Igneel wouldn't have left."

"Don't put all the blame on yourself!"

"WHY?! I AM TO BLAME! I'M A MONSTER! I DO NOTHING BUT HURT, I HURT EVERYONE! I DON'T DESERVE TO BE HERE! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! I SHOULD BE DEAD INSTEAD OF HER!"

Natsu stopped, Erza had slapped him across the face leaving a red mark. "Never say something like that again! Live and struggle! Because being alive…is a sign of strength. We don't die for our friends, we live for them."

Finally all the agony and misery Natsu dealt with over the years came pouring out and he wept, wept over his father, wept over Lisanna, wept over Makarov. "Shhhh…everything is going to be alright." Shedding a few tears of her own, Erza wrapped her arms around his neck and together they sank onto the floor.

After what seemed like hours a doctor went up to Natsu. "Mr. Dreyar is going to be just fine, that man is very strong for his age and I am expecting a full recovery. Congratulations."

"Did…did you hear that, Erza? Gramps is going to be okay, he's going to be okay."

"Yes, Natsu, I did."

"Erza?" Natsu placed his hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her warm brown eyes.

"Yes, Natsu?"

"Thank you."

* * *

The doctor's predictions were spot on, Makarov Dreyar was able to go back home after a week in the hospital. Life for Natsu went almost back to normal, except for a beautiful girl he could not stop thinking about. 'Erza Scarlet…her face is tattooed on the back of my eyelids, I blush when I picture her sweet face smiling at me. I would do anything for her, kill for her, sacrifice everything I have for her…is this the love that Igneel spoke of?'

***Flashback***

A six year old Natsu had just finished watching a sappy, romantic movie about a man who donated his heart to the woman he loved. "Why would he do that?" the confused little boy asked.

"Because he loves her."

"What's love?"

Igneel chuckled at his son's naïve persona. "Love is…when you care about someone so much that you would do anything in the world for her."

"Anything? Like jump into water full of electric eels or fight a big bear?"

"Well…yes. Now off to bed, Natsu."

***Flashback End***

"I think I understand now, Igneel." Making sure to pack his lunch, Natsu slung his bookbag over his shoulder and headed off to Fairy High.

* * *

"Today's the day, class! Your projects are due, get ready to present. First up is Natsu and Erza on the political institutions set during the Fiore Civil War."

"I am the king, everything belongs to me! Tax these lazy peasants even more, I want more money." A cardboard crown on his head and a cheap cape on his back, Natsu played his role of a greedy tyrant.

Erza stormed in wearing a makeshift medieval noble's outfit, anger written on her face. "The country will not stand for your crimes, Duke Venomania! I will build an army of commoners and capture the castle!"

"Oh please, I have the royal army and half the country loyal to me. You don't stand a chance!"

"It's war, big time!"

As Natsu had anticipated, their play was a huge success. The class erupted into cheers and claps when they finished, Gildarts himself looking impressed. "Good job, guys. I had no idea that you would turn it into a skit, A+!"

"We did it! I'm all fired up!" Natsu fist pumped and gave Erza a kiss, provoking several shouts and wolf whistles.

The other groups all presented their projects in the same format, a PowerPoint and a report. The only real distinguishing feature was when Cana brought in a barrel of alcohol from home to offer a "hands-on" demonstration, resulting in Principal Laxus confiscating it and Cana having a drunken tantrum over how precious it was to her.

After school, Natsu headed over to the convenience store to pick up some more tabasco sauce; he was stocking up for the winter. Exiting the store, he was surprised to see two of the boys he knew from his old street fighting days, Sting and Rogue.

"Hello, Salamander. Having a nice day?" There was no friendliness in Sting's voice, only bitter sarcasm.

"Uhhhh yeah, sure. What are you guys doing here?"

Rogue was becoming agitated, but Sting held him back. "We're paying a visit to our dear friend, of course. Tell me, how did it feel when you left us for your little girlfriend Lisanna?" By now it was clear that they were not here to catch up, Natsu gently set his bag on the ground and straightened his back.

"I never intended to just leave you, I was simply entering a new stage in my life. You guys aren't weak, you would have been fine without me."

"Here's the thing, we weren't. Remember Yukino?"

"That girl who always followed you around?"

Enraged, Rogue shoved Sting behind him and raised his voice. "She was our fucking friend, you ignorant bastard!"

"Easy there, Rogue. Anyways, after you left she was inspired by how you became a whole new person and bunch of that sentimental crap. Yukino followed in your footsteps and told the gang leader that she was quitting, and you know what Sabertooth-sama did? He stripped her down, beat her up, and threw her on the streets to die."

"I'm sorry to hear that, what did you do?"

"We couldn't do anything! No one can defy Sabertooth-sama, including us! You caused this, Salamander!" Unable to stay still, Rogue spurted forward and punched Natsu in the face, leaving a trail of blood streaming down his face.

"Why you-!" Natsu grabbed Rogue's collar and sent his fist into his stomach. Sting tackled Natsu from the side and kicked him hard in the ribs. Skidding across the sidewalk, Natsu wiped the blood from his mouth and braced himself.

Sting and Rogue ran in from both sides, fists in the air and ready to strike. Jumping up from the ground, Natsu flew over them and landed on their other side. Despite his speed, Rogue was able to hit him in the chest, changing his aim at the last second. 'Damn it, they've gotten good.' Natsu thought.

"Prepare for our vengeance, Salamander!" Sting head-butted Natsu and pushed him back, slamming into a dumpster. While he attempted to get up, Rogue grabbed his arms and bent them over his head, then placed his foot on his back to keep him from moving.

Coughing up some blood, Natsu saw Sting crouching down in front of him; he yanked up a fistful of Natsu's hair, raising his head. "Not so high and mighty now, huh?" Natsu let out a groan as Sting socked him repeatedly. 'I guess this is it.'

"NATSU!" Erza was furious, she was on her way to buy some chapstick when she saw him getting clobbered by two muscular boys. "Get away from here, Erza!" She would do no such thing, there was a reason why she was so feared among the students.

"GET OFF MY BOYFRIEND!" Pulling a pole out of nowhere, Erza whacked Sting so hard that he was sent soaring through the air. A chilling aura came from her, eyes glowing red with rage, and Rogue couldn't help but feel intimidated by this schoolgirl wielding a metal pole.

Quickly dropping Natsu's arms, Rogue stood up and pretended to look tough under her glare. "I don't want to hit a girl, so let go of the pole and I won't hurt you."

Natsu watched in amazement as his girlfriend pounded and bashed him so hard that his body was near black from the bruises. Petrified, Sting tried to crawl away only to be met with a pole to his face. Within seconds, Sting and Rogue were lying on the ground shaking and pleading for mercy.

"Get up, Natsu. Let's leave before the cops come." Speechless, Natsu stumbled to his feet and followed her.

"R-remind me never to get on your bad side, Erza."

* * *

Erza took Natsu to her apartment so she could treat his wounds, she set him on the couch and retrieved the first aid kit. "What the hell was that, Natsu?"

Grimacing as she sprayed him with disinfectant, Natsu said "They were my friends back when I was you know, Salamander. I guess they were mad that I left and wanted revenge."

"Looks like we both have enemies from the past."

"Erza, what you did back there was…" Erza wondered what his reaction would be, horrified or creeped out?

"…FUCKING AWESOME! You're like, the best the girl in the world!" Natsu donned a big, toothy grin and patted Erza on the back.

"Y-you're not repulsed?"

"How the hell could I be repulsed? You're beautiful, smart, nice, and strong!" Flushing redder than her hair, Erza cleared her throat and bandaged up Natsu's injuries, secretly admiring how toned his body was.

"T-thank you."

"I love you." Natsu declared at the same time.

"What? I didn't hear you."

"N-nothing, I said thanks."

"Oh...I thought you said…never mind. There, all done." To hide the disappointment, Erza walked away to put the first aid kit back.

"Shiiiiiiiiit I left my tabasco sauce on the sidewalk! Bye, thanks again!" Erza giggled at his frenzy and tendency to be absent-minded. She flopped on the couch and closed her eyes, thinking about how cute he could be. 'Oh Natsu, for such a dangerous street fighter you sure can be a kid sometimes. I could have sworn I heard you say… it was probably just my imagination, but why did I want you to say that? Do I lo…?'


	7. Death?

"UGH! IT'S. ALL. WRONG!" Jellal swiped everything off his chessboard, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Jellal-san, please calm down!" Sho and Millianna gathered up the fallen pieces, carefully placing them back on the board.

"How can I calm down?! All my plans are ruined! That stupid old geezer was supposed to die, how the hell did the poison not work?! The apothecary said it would work!"

"I'm sure you can come up with another way to dispose of Salamander, there was no guarantee that he would be evicted and confined to the slums."

"There is no other way! That boy is like her lapdog, how the hell can I rip him away?!"

"Perhaps Jellal-san should try a different approach."

"Yes…a different approach… Tell me, Millianna, how good of an actor am I?"

"The best I have ever seen, Jellal-san."

"Excellent… Tell me, Sho, what does Erza think of me?"

"She thinks you are cruel and twisted, but I don't think she has forgotten about the old Jellal."

"Truly excellent… Go get me some supplies from the drama department; we are staging a…scene. Wally, go track down Erza and find out her typical schedule. When does she leave school, how does she get home, and what paths does she usually take?"

"Hai, Jellal-san!"

"This is going to be the biggest show I have ever done. Sho, you are in charge of affairs while I am…occupied."

"I accept the responsibility, Jellal-san."

"Now, let the chaos begin!"

* * *

Just as Erza had wished, Simon was moving on and becoming more cheerful with the introduction of friends other than Erza. He, Loke, and Elfman were now inseparable. Autumn passed by in the blink of an eye and soon, the student council had their hands full preparing for the winter dance.

"No, no, no! Those snowflakes are far too small, I have never seen such a hideous color on a streamer before, what is up with the lights, is this a winter dance or a rainbow disco?! People, quit slacking and get working!" The poor decoration committee had received the blunt end of Erza's stress, frantically laboring without stop.

Erza demanded that the student council be excused from their first period for the next week, Gildarts declared the request ridiculous, leading to a staring contest between the two for the entire class period. The students watched, awestruck, as the president bore her eyes deep into the teacher's soul, not blinking. Soon, Gildarts began to sweat with nervousness and fear while she penetrated his mind and emitted such authority that everyone in the front row backed away.

"O-okay! You guys can skip first period, just stop!"

"Good. That took up nearly half of class so slaves, I mean student council, get your butts over to the room and finish in half the time!" As Erza and the others rushed out, Natsu felt a pang of frustration. She had less and less time for him now, with all the hectic student council work. Hopefully, the waiting would be worth it when they attended the dance together.

He sighed when the workaholic failed to show up at lunch again and bought some strawberry cake for her at the cafeteria, he would give it to her after school. Last time when he interrupted her meeting, the secretary quickly threw him out to avoid a commotion and possibly invoke an angry Erza.

Natsu stood at the front gate, smiling when he saw his girlfriend walking towards him. "You skipped lunch so I got you some cake." Guilt washed over Erza when she became aware of how much she had disregarded him. "Thank you, Natsu. I'm sorry that I've been so busy, why don't we meet up for some coffee later?" "Yeah, you look like you could use a break."

'_I guess I should stop obsessing over every little thing and pay more attention to my boyfriend, Mirajane once told me that men are like dogs that require constant attention.'_ Her thoughts were impeded by a crash and a yell, running over to the clamor, Erza came to a halt.

Jellal was lying on the sidewalk, dazed and semi-conscious. Sluggishly sitting up and rubbing his head, he looked relieved when he saw her and called out her name. "J-Jellal? Are…you alright?" Cautiously navigating her way to him, Erza debated whether to leave.

"I…I was sprinting or something then I tripped and hit a telephone pole. My head really hurts, am I hallucinating or was your hair always this long?"

"H-huh?"

"Wasn't your hair reaching your shoulders? You look…older. Where's your uniform, isn't it a school day? Why are you dressed like a high schooler?"

"Did you lose your memory or something? What's the last thing you remember?"

"Ummm didn't we start going out a few days ago?"

"Is this a joke?! What are you doing?"

"Erza, why are you mad? How long was I out, it looks like a few years passed! What happened?" Jellal promptly began to shake and hyperventilate, panicking.

"You must have gotten amnesia when you hurt your head, but it's a little strange that you would forget that much…"

"Why are you acting so…cold? Did I do something to you? Please…Erza…I just want to remember…"His face, innocent and anxious, reminded Erza of how he looked when he first asked her out. Her chest painfully tightened at the memory, but she chided herself that she was Natsu's girlfriend now.

"It's been two years, we broke up. I'm sorry you lost your memories, Jellal, but unfortunately I'm not even sure on what you've been doing. Go find Sho or Wally, they can fill you in on the details."

"We…broke up?" He sounded heartbroken and confused. "I…don't know who those people are…all I remember is you."

"Try going through your belongings, they might give you a clue about your life."

"I'm not carrying anything, please help me, Erza. I don't even know where I live… It hurts but I'll keep my distance since we're not dating anymore, please…you're the only thing I have right now."

***Flashback***

"How can you be so upbeat?! Your house burned down! You have nothing…"

"I have you, you're the only thing I have right now but it's okay because you're the only thing I'll ever need."

***Flashback End***

"I guess…you can call me if you need help. Maybe you can get a job and stay at a hotel for a little while until you remember where your house is… I have a date with my boyfriend…I should get going…"

"But who would hire me…I don't have any experience…at least I don't remember having any."

Erza felt the need to help him, but she was just a tad suspicious. "Why don't you get analyzed out at a hospital? A doctor can help you more than me. Keep going down this street and make a left, you can't miss it."

"Will you come with me?"

"I have a date."

"Oh…I apologize…I don't want to be a burden." Was it really fair for her to be so apathetic towards someone so lost and unknowing? _'Jellal was vile to me, but now he doesn't remember. All he knows is that we were going out and now I flat out rejected him.' _

Wavering, Erza took out her phone and called Natsu. "Moshi Moshi? Natsu? I'm going to be late for our coffee date."

"What, why?"

"…I found Jellal."

"Did that bastard try anything?!"

"No…he has severe amnesia."

"What the hell is that?"

"It means he lost his memories."

"I don't believe it, ditch the guy."

"I'm doubtful too, which is why I'm taking him to a hospital."

"Ok…just come to the café as soon as you're done cause I ain't gonna wait for HIM."

"Very well, bye."

Hanging up, Erza hauled Jellal to his feet and initiated walking. "Erza?"

"Are you coming or what?"

Erza brought him to the main hospital and checked in with the receptionist, almost immediately a doctor arrived.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"My friend here whacked his head and lost his memories."

"I see, please step behind the curtain while I examine him." Separating the two, the doctor isolated Jellal and took off his mask.

"Jellal-san, what should I tell her?" It was revealed that Wally was pretending to be a doctor, turning on a bunch of machines to conceal their conversation.

"I thought I told you to do research, it was a hit to my head, come up with something!"

"Hai, Jellal-san." Wally switched off the machines, put on his mask, and drew back the curtain.

"Due to direct damage to his head, this gentleman has retrograde amnesia meaning he cannot recall anything before the incident."

"But he remembered who I was."

"Ahem…well…strong emotions and stuff can forcefully bring back some memories since retrograde amnesia tends to be temporary. That's all, he already paid the bill so you two are free to go."

"Thank you for your time, doc." They exited the hospital and walked in silence for some time.

"I'm curious, Jellal. How did you remember me instantly?"

"Well…at first I didn't, but then I saw your hair. It was scarlet…Erza Scarlet…everything about you came flooding back." Blinking away tears, Erza headed over to the café and gave Jellal some money to buy clothes and a toothbrush. "You can stay at my place."

* * *

At the café, Natsu was patiently waiting for her at one of the tables with two coffees. "Thank you for waiting." Erza sat down next to him and took a sip, he had ordered her favorite.

"How did things go with the bastard?"

"It's legit, he really has amnesia."

"Well fuck, what did you do?" Erza was silent. "What did you do, Erza?"

"I…told him he could stay at my apartment until he remembered where his house was…"

Natsu spit out his coffee all over the table. "WHAT?!"

"I know what you're thinking but he promised to keep his distance!"

"And what about when he remembers all the shit he did to you, huh?! You think he'll just peacefully surrender?! Once the bastard remembers he'll fucking rape you then kill you then kidnap your body!"

"Natsu clam down, you're making a scene." Many people were now staring at the couple, much to Erza's chagrin.

"I don't want him to be near you, let alone living with you! How about you come stay at my house while he lives alone? Gramps won't mind."

"That's kind of you to offer, but I don't think it's a good idea to leave him alone. And before you offer to stay with him, I don't want you to slit his throat in his sleep."

"I was going to offer to let the police stay with him."

"Natsu, YOU are my boyfriend. Not him. I solemnly swear that if Jellal tries ANYTHING, I will kick him out."

"If he does, that bastard will be dead before you have the chance."

* * *

Back at her apartment, Jellal appeared to be keeping his word. He slept on the couch and more or less did everything himself, keeping a friendly but hostile relationship with Erza. She registered him as a student at Fairy High, luckily he still knew his math and history.

Natsu made sure to make his relationship with Erza loud and clear to Jellal, coming over every day to visit, greeting Erza with a kiss and Jellal with the finger. Weeks went by and the upcoming dance was getting closer and closer, students were soon scrambling to find a date.

"I'm so torn! Loke asked me to go with him, and he's the only one so far, but I don't want to." Lucy vented her issues to Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Erza, and Mirajane, who were sitting at the same lunch table with her.

Natsu was about as experienced with teenage drama as a fish was, not understanding her dilemma in the slightest. "Then don't."

"But what if he's the only one who will go with me? Then I won't have a date!"

"What's wrong with going stag?" Gray had gone to dances by himself before, and it wasn't all that bad.

"All of you guys have dates so I'll look like I can't get one."

Again, Natsu could be a knuckle-head when it came to these things. "But you CAN'T get one."

"Shut uuuuuppppp." Officially depressed, Lucy put her head down on the table and wallowed in self-pity. The gang laughed, knowing that she'd rather go with a pervert who was admittedly handsome in contrast to showing up alone.

* * *

The Winter Dance

All of the student council's hard work paid off, they had transformed the cafeteria into a breathtaking winter wonderland complete with shimmering crystal lights and dainty snowflakes hanging naturally from the ceiling. Natsu, however, was solely focused on the food and punch, chowing down half the buffet in a mere five minutes.

When Erza came over, he dropped his finger sandwich and hurriedly tidied up his suit. Wearing a short, light blue dress with a white lace overlay, she seized his hand and dragged a protesting Natsu to the dance floor. "I went through hell to make this event a success so you better dance with me."

Trying not to make a fool of himself was hard enough, and Natsu kept getting distracted by how long and smooth her legs were. Struggling to keep his gaze from shifting downward, he attempted to start a conversation.

"Uh…you look pretty…" Natsu mentally face-palmed when he said that. _'Really, that's the best I can do?'_

"Hm? Oh thanks, you too. I mean, not pretty but handsome. Cause…you don't really call a boy pretty… I mean you can, but…yeah…" _'Smooth, real smooth, Erza.'_

"So…uh…the food is good." _'Oh my god the food?! Now she's going to think I'm a pig.'_

"Good. I ordered it from a place… a restaurant, actually. Because restaurants sell food." _'No shit they sell food, he probably thinks I'm an idiot.'_

"I like restaurants, they have food." _'Again with the food?! Where is this conversation going?'_

"Yes, food is essential to life." _'Seriously, Erza? Seriously?'_

"Ummm…"

"Uh…"

Fortunately for the awkward pair the DJ played a slow song, allowing Natsu and Erza to drift into a slow waltz. Following what he saw on TV, Natsu wrapped one arm around her waist and took her hand, letting Erza take the lead. She rested her head on his chest and breathed in his scent, smoky with a hint of freshly cut grass. _'Erza smells like strawberries.'_ Pleased, Natsu discreetly took another whiff of her silky hair.

When the song ended, Natsu left to get the two of them some drinks. Before she had time to react, Jellal grasped her wrist and drew her away from the crowd. "Erza, another memory just came back to me."

"What was it?"

"I…I saw myself hitting you. Threatening you. Why did I do that, is that why we broke up?"

"Y-yes…that's why we broke up." Not wanting to continue the discussion, Erza attempted to leave.

"Wait!" Jellal reached out, latching a hand onto her arm. "I… I can't believe I would…that's why you hate me…"

"Jellal…"

"Erza... I can feel kindness from that name... I can feel kindness, cheerfulness and warmth... I'm sure you'll continue to hate me, but I can't help that. It's only natural. But hatred will steal the freedom from your heart. It will eat away at you from within. I can't go that far. I can't go before you!" And with that, he fled the room.

"Jellal!"

Natsu, hearing her scream, dashed over. "Erza, what's wrong?!"

"Jellal…" Her eyes widened and she took off after him, a bewildered Natsu following suit.

Erza and Natsu chased Jellal up the stairs and to the rooftop, where he went up to the edge and turned around to face Erza.

"You will be free from me. I will take your hatred and sadness... with me... You are... free!" Spreading out his arms, Jellal fell backwards off the roof.

"JELLAL!" She raced forward and nearly toppled of the roof as well, but Natsu caught her around the waist and spun her towards him. Plunging to her knees, Erza wailed in his arms. After several minutes, her sobbing subsided and Natsu tenderly enveloped her in his jacket, permitting her to stay in his embrace a little longer.

Finally, Erza took a shaky breath and got up. "Sorry for keeping you out here for so long, I'll be heading home now."

"I'll walk you."

Standing outside her door, she handed Natsu back his jacket and took out her keys. "Are you okay?" _'What a stupid question, of course she isn't.'_

"No, but I will be. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Goodnight."

Closing the door behind her, Erza waited until his footsteps grew faint then tossed herself onto the couch. Holding the pillow that he used, she bitterly wept for another hour, tears making streaks down her cheeks. Eventually, Erza fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

"Did she buy it?" Sho knelt behind him, removing the ropes and straps from beneath his suit.

"Too easy, I didn't even have to employ the fake blood or sirens. All those torturous weeks gaining her trust and painting myself as a good guy was worth it. Stage one of operation iNSaNiTY completed."

"Your mind is as brilliant as ever, Jellal-san."

Jellal deviously smiled and sat on his throne, moving the knight piece one square forward and the dragon one square back.

Holding a sheet of paper, Millianna came in through the door. "I have some more information, Jellal-san. It seems that one of the bitches at Erza's school is in a bit of a rut and I'm sure we can find a way to help in return for some…intel."

"Lucy Heartfilia. Doesn't her daddy own some big company? Hmm, it looks like their wealth is drying up. Junelle Corporation is breathing down their necks for control… Wally!"

"Hai, Jellal-san!"

"Doesn't your big brother Richard own Junelle Corporation?"

"Hai, he is the CEO. But nii-san loves money, he won't give up his claim over Heartfilia Konzern."

"I bet he loves you more than his precious gold, why don't we find out?" Reaching into a dark bag, Jellal picked out two more chess pieces, one shaped like an eyeball and another shaped like a heart. "Stage one of operation puppet may now commence in accordance with stage two of operation iNSaNiTY."


	8. Illusions and Trickery

Erza woke up exhausted and aching, still in the position she had fallen asleep in. Rubbing her eyes and heading to the bathroom to shower, she glanced in the mirror and cringed at her reflection. Her dress was wrinkled, makeup smudged, hair tangled, and she had dark bags under her eyes.

She turned the water on blistering hot and took her time, letting all her emotions swirl down the drain while rinsing away yesterday. The momentary relief was short-lived, however, and the event that had happened the day before came crashing down on her like a boulder when Erza got dressed and began to clean up the couch.

_"You will be free from me. I will take your hatred and sadness... with me... You are... free!"_ No, no, this was all a horrible nightmare. The boy who made her love and hurt was not dead, she was just dreaming. "Why do I care so much about him?" Erza said aloud, although she knew the answer to her question.

Jellal… her first friend, the person who made her feel so special and happy. He cared for her, helped her, melted her heart, caressed her, made her genuinely smile for the first time in her life, her first real love. Until that day, when he slapped her. To Erza, it was as if a demon had suddenly possessed him. A boy who was once gentle and light-hearted became a manipulative monster who fed off rage and lust. Then he lost his memory and for weeks, Erza thought the old Jellal had returned. Then he fucking KILLED himself when he remembered what he did.

She could feel her body beginning to shake, a pain slicing though her chest and her vision growing blurred. Knees buckling, she rested her arms on the couch cushion and laid her head down, this time making no noise while tears dropped without stop.

***Flashback***

"Why are you always by yourself?" Startled, Erza looked up from her lunch to see a blue-haired boy standing in front of her.

"I prefer it…"

"Aw come on, I know that's not true! Why don't you come join me and my friends?" Jellal held out his hand to her, hesitating a bit, she gratefully accepted it.

One Month Later

A group of teens sat at a table, laughing and joking around. Millianna nudged Erza in the side, "I notice you and Jellal have been getting really close lately, are you guys gonna be a couple or what?" Flushing, the two became flustered and protested while their friends teased them relentlessly, except Simon.

Their predictions proved true and within a couple of weeks, Erza and Jellal announced their relationship official. Eyes lighting up, Millianna instantly pounced on them for details, chasing the pair around the school.

Dashing into the empty art room, Erza closed and locked the door while Jellal fell back against a chair cracking up. "Oh hush, Jellal or she'll hear you!" Sitting down next to him, she feigned a pout and crossed her arms.

"Don't be mad, it's not my fault that the girl's crazy!"

"Hmph!" Erza stuck her nose in the air, pretending to brush him off. A mischievous idea popping in his head, Jellal quietly reached for a tube of paint behind him. He faced away from her and screwed off the top, squeezing some on his fingers.

"Please talk to me." Feeling guilty, she turned around and blushed when he cupped her cheek with his hand. Jellal removed his hand and remained stoic for a few more seconds before starting to snicker uncontrollably at the streak of green on her face. Confused, she touched her cheek and was angered when paint came off.

Erza leapt up from the chair and grabbed a few paint tubes of her own, nimbly dodging him while unscrewing the caps. "Take that!" Brown paint squirted out of the container and hit Jellal's pants, giving the impression that he pooped in them.

"Why you-!" Snatching over another tube, Jellal splashed her shirt with yellow paint. They raced and hid around the room in a sort of mock battle, getting paint everywhere all over themselves and over the tables and chairs.

Their glee was cut short when the art teacher unlocked the door and opened it, revealing the place to be covered with random splatters of paint in nearly every color. Caught red-handed, Erza and Jellal gulped, waiting for her reaction.

Much to their surprise, the art teacher absolutely adored it, calling it an abstract masterpiece. Jubilant with their fortune, Erza and Jellal spent the rest of their day enjoying the attention they attracted in their thoroughly paint-coated uniforms. It had been nearly impossible to wash off and it took a week for new uniforms to be ordered, meaning that they had to walk around like that in school, mortifying Erza and amusing Jellal.

Days like that continued with carefree frolic and playfulness, ranging from stargazing to laser tag tournaments. Erza had never felt so alive and elated before, looking forward to waking up and sharing more moments with Jellal.

***Flashback End***

"I want to go back to those lively, sunny days filled with smiles and simple love…"

"So do I." Jellal's voice rang out, echoing in the grand space. Erza frantically got up, searching for the sound, crestfallen when the apartment appeared as empty as it had been since yesterday night. She figured that she had just imagined it, but she was troubled by how real it sounded.

Taking a long, deep breath, she picked up the blanket and pillow Jellal used. Erza took in his scent one last time before dumping them in the laundry basket. Suddenly she was pushed against the wall by a man with blue hair and hazel eyes, a red tattoo over his right eye.

"J-Jellal? But…you're…you…the roof…"

"I needed you."

"W-What?"

"I needed you, but you neglected and ignored me. All you did was hang out with that Natsu. You know how that felt, waking up knowing nothing except you and my love for you, only for you to act like I was a stranger then kiss other people in front of me?! Do you know how dejected I was?! Did you even care?!"

He raised a hand, as if to slap her. Erza closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but nothing came and when she opened them, Jellal was gone. Heart pulsating rapidly, she ran all around the apartment to find that there was no soul in sight. Terrified by her hallucination, she laced on her sneakers and put in headphones blasting her favorite songs, going out for a run to clear her head.

It was early in the morning so the sidewalks were deserted, giving Erza some peace and time to think. She rounded a corner and jogged past the apartment complex into a rather secluded place. There, standing in between two buildings, was him. Another glance and he was gone. Everywhere she went, Jellal abruptly appeared then vanished in the blink of an eye.

Her breath coming in shallow, ragged, gasps, Erza rushed back into the security of home and slammed the door shut. Leaning on it for support, she could feel herself on the verge of a complete mental breakdown. "It's okay, just post-traumatic stress disorder or something, I'm not going crazy, it's medical. I'm okay, I'm fine." She reassured herself to the best of her ability, but she was still unnerved by the apparitions.

Hands trembling, Erza picked up the phone and called Natsu, trying to keep her voice from wavering when she told him of her visions. Concerned for well-being, he immediately went over to her apartment and came in.

"Don't worry, Erza. I went through the same experience when Igneel left, you're not losing your sanity."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, I kept hearing his sound whenever I was alone for a long time. I could practically smell him, constantly imagining that he was there with me. It stopped though, after I really came to terms with his absence and understood that I wasn't going to see him anymore. You're still in shock, they should go away once you absorb the fact that Jellal is gone."

"Thank you, Natsu. I hope they do."

* * *

"I don't like doing this, Jellal-san…" Wally Buchanan was sitting hand-cuffed and tied to a chair.

"SHUT UP! If your brother loves you than you won't be hurt. Now, he should be coming soon." After about fifteen minutes, there was a pounding on the door. "Let him in."

He was tall and a bit on the portly side, with girly features adorning his oddly geometric body. "Why do you have my younger brother, what do you want?"

Jellal opened a drawer and took out a pistol, then walked over to Wally and aimed it at his head. "When Jude Heartfilia's bratty whore of a daughter arrives, you will do as I say or this bullet will rip apart your brother's brains."

"And what exactly will you say?"

"That you will stop your attempts at seizing Heartfilia Konzern."

"What?! That business deal is very important to me!"

"I see." Placing his finger on the trigger, Jellal prepared to shoot.

"WAIT! Alright, I will go along with your demands if you release Wally."

"You are not a noble man, Richard. Both of you will remain here until the deal is sealed and I am not putting away the gun either."

"Very well."

* * *

Lucy walked down the street, heavily burdened by the news she had received from her father last night.

"_Our company is in serious trouble, we are financially unstable, we have been for years. Another company, Junelle Corporation, is trying to steal it from under our noses. I'm sorry Lucy, but there is nothing I can do to stop them and we may lose everything."_

"_Everything? What about all of our belongings, our keepsakes and memories, the house, what about mom's grave?!"_

"_Everything, Lucy. I don't know what we will do, there is very little money left in our funds to support us. I'm afraid…I'm afraid that we will not be able to afford a decent place to live or adequate amounts of food, I am going to sign us up for welfare but in this economy…"_

"_NO! I couldn't care less about the money, but the things in that mansion are the only things I have left to remember mom by. Her clothes, her jewelry, her books, everything she ever gave to me, my doll…Michelle… My entire childhood is there… video tapes of her are there… what if I forget her voice? I was so young when she passed, how will I remember her without pictures and scrapbooks and recordings and and…"_

"_Junelle Corporation will take them all, they are worth money and Junelle isn't exactly known for their charity. That company is nothing but a greedy money collector who will not hesitate to destroy people and things to gain more wealth."_

She couldn't believe that people so cruel existed, what little could they possibly gain from selling the paintings of her family together? To think that they would become homeless beggars so suddenly and without warning was distressing to say the least.

A cloaked figure emerged to her left and spoke. "What if I told you that there was a way to save your precious company?"

"H-huh? Who are you and how do you know?"

"That's not important right now, do you want to or not?"

"Jellal-san, I brought the Heartfilia girl." The cloaked figure pulled Lucy into the room and locked the door. A mixture of fear and confusion ran through her veins at the mention of his name. "Jellal? Aren't you the guy who was bad to Erza in the past? Why are you holding a gun, what do you want with me?!"

Jellal frowned. "You know about Erza?"

"W-Well sort of… we just know that you did something awful to her…"

"That is not my concern right now, and it certainly isn't yours. So Heartfilia Konzern is in need of some assistance, yes?"

"Look, I have no clue why you of all people know about such matter but coming here was a mistake, please let me leave."

"You are free to go, but why don't we introduce you to someone first?" A large, strangely angular man with long orange hair dressed in an odd black and white outfit stepped forward. "Hello, Miss Heartfilia. My name is Richard Buchanan and I am the CEO of Junelle Corporation."

Her eyes widened and she reluctantly agreed to stay, not knowing what they had in store for her. "Please don't take everything from us, Mr. Buchanan, I'll do anything!"

A sinister smile stretched across Jellal's face. "Anything? In that case, my dear, I need you to do a little favor for me. Drive Natsu and Erza apart to the best of your abilities, maybe hook up with that boy, I also wouldn't mind if you were to keep track of the things they do and report them to me."

"What?! I'm not going to do that to my friends! Besides, Natsu and Erza are not going to break up no matter how much I try to seduce him."

"Now you're a smart girl, I'm sure you can come up with another way. If you refuse my generous offer, Richard here will deplete every last PENNY you have and demolish that house of yours with EVERYTHING in it, including your stupid mementos. You and your father can also say goodbye to any help from the government and fend for yourselves." It was an arduous decision, but Lucy knew that her mom would not want her to betray her friends for money and material items.

"No."

"That not enough? I hate to go so far, but digging out your mother's coffin and setting it on fire is not out of the question. All of your beloved servants would become tools for my personal pleasure and torture. You seem to be a compassionate person, will you risk the safety of all these people for something that is not even physically damaging?"

"You…you're sick and twisted…" Tears welled at the corners of Lucy's eyes, she knew what she had to do despite how much it pained her.

"I suppose we have a deal?"

"Y-Yes… but promise that you won't harm Natsu and Erza!"

"I will not harm a hair on either of their heads." Jellal smirked when she left looking rueful but satisfied. "That fool, she fell for the oldest trick in the book. I will certainly make sure not to damage one strand of hair, after all, a deal is a deal."


	9. The Party

**A/N: I promise that there will be a final showdown between Natsu and Jellal, but to satiate your craving for action, here's a quick Natsu vs. Jellal scene. Also, I apologize for constantly changing the way I format chapters and write, it can be confusing when sometimes the thoughts are italicized and sometimes the flashbacks are. I'll try to be more consistent with that kind of stuff, thx for all the reviews!**

* * *

'Goddamn that Jellal, even when he's dead he manages to haunt Erza.' Natsu flopped into his favorite armchair and turned on the TV, enjoying an R-rated movie since Makarov was out grocery shopping. He focused on the screen and tried to clear his mind of Jellal, which was relatively easy considering his ahem, one-way brain. However, the excess amounts of gore displayed barely fazed him, having seen worse than that up close and in person.

Getting hungry, he went over to the kitchen to grab some chips and tabasco sauce. Fortuitously, the bag of tabasco sauce was still on the sidewalk where he had left it when Natsu went back to get it. Closing the cabinet, he was shocked to see Jellal standing at the doorway. "What the hell are you doing in my house, are you Jellal's twin or something?"

Jellal tried his best not to roll his eyes at him. "No, of course not. I came here to tell you to stay away from Er-"

"Then that means you're a ghost!"

"Don't interrupt people when they are speaking! As I was saying, stay away fr-"

"So I can beat you up without holding back or worrying about the cops!"

"H-HEY!" Jellal was unable to finish speaking, jumping back to avoid a punch from Natsu. "You rash, thick-headed idiot!" Natsu charged at him again and again, obviously not paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was saying.

Frustrated and miffed, Jellal sent his foot up into Natsu's chest, making him stumble back a few steps. "Listen to people when they talk to you!"

"I don't give a fuck about what you have to say!" Running forward, Natsu punched him in the nose and grinned when he heard a cracking sound. Jellal grabbed the hand he used to punch with and bent his arm up, kneeing him in the ribcage.

A few drops of blood splattered onto the wood floor as Natsu coughed, holding his bruised ribs. "I thought ghosts were all floaty and transparent but I guess you qualify as a devil." He delivered a sharp uppercut and slammed Jellal into the table, latching onto his collar and hitting him repeatedly.

With a hard shove, Jellal drove Natsu away and crashed his knuckles against his face, giving him a black eye. Natsu retaliated by swinging his fist at Jellal's stomach and effectively made him bend over in pain. "You annoying little piece of shit!" Holding on the table for support, he used his leg to sweep Natsu onto his back with a loud thump.

Using his knees to keep Natsu's wrists on the floor, Jellal dispatched punch and after punch. Natsu was trapped, but not completely out of options. Spitting in Jellal's face, he used the distraction to push him off and get up, wiping the blood trickling out of his mouth with his hand.

Propelling himself towards Jellal, Natsu closed his fingers around his throat and whacked the back of his head against the edge of the door frame. Dizzy and heavily bleeding, Jellal waited until Natsu left to clean up the mess and quietly slunk out of the window he came in through.

Natsu was not surprised to see that he was gone, knowing that the apparition probably returned to hell. Tossing a bundle of blood-soaked rags in the trash, he retrieved his chips and tabasco sauce, returning to his armchair to finish the show.

* * *

Jellal sat on a desk while Millianna bandaged and tended to his injuries. "Are you alright, Jellal-san?"

"I'm fine, I just miscalculated how brash and impatient that boy is. This is only a minor setback, the plan is still in motion." A tap on the door jostled him out of his thoughts, Jellal swiftly slipped on a hoodie to hide his wounds and sat back on his throne. "Come in."

Nervous and frightened, Lucy came in with a small notepad in her hand. "I have done as you asked, here is some information I gathered on the two. I promise that I will try to find a way to split them apart, but first you have to do as you said."

"Alright, tonight Richard will give up Heartfilia Konzern at your daddy's business meeting. Now let me see what you have." Lucy handed him the notepad and anxiously fidgeted, wondering if he would be pleased or mad.

"I am disappointed that this is all you managed to get. It is still useful, however, so I will not roast Layla's grave just yet. Now get out, scum and don't try to tell anyone because I will find out." Turning on her heel, Lucy rushed out as fast as she could to get away from him.

"Hmm… Lucy Heartfilia is going to take Natsu Dragneel, Erza Scarlet, and some kid named Gray Fullbuster with her to attend a yacht party hosted by one of Jude's friends? Well you know what boats do best, sink."

"Jellal-san, may I inquire why we are doing this to Erza?"

"For you guys, it's revenge for her leaving us and convincing our dear friend Simon to as well. I personally just enjoy watching her suffer, perhaps you could say that I am a sadist."

"This seems a little extreme though…"

"I am your leader, you are my minions! We have been together for years and if you dare turn your back now, the consequences will be severe. Question me again and the animal shelter will be reduced to rubble and dead meat."

"Hai…Jellal-san."

* * *

"I can't believe we get to go to a party on a yacht, thanks for inviting us Lucy!" Erza was grateful to have something to keep her mind off Jellal, if just for one night.

"Y-Yeah, sure. My dad has a business meeting so he said that I could go in his place and bring along some of my friends. But Natsu, aren't you worried about your motion sickness?"

"Nope, I had Wendy whip me up some herbal drink that will settle my stomach for a couple of hours. I couldn't be better!" The four boarded the ship and excitedly wandered around and explored a bit, then went into the massive ballroom where the party was centralized.

The gala had a black and white theme, it was more for fun than for business. Gray and Natsu were both dressed in a tuxedo, though Natsu had on his scarf and Gray had on a bowtie. Erza was dressed in a sleeveless black cocktail dress that displayed her slender legs and curvaceous figure paired with simple black pumps. Lucy wore a white dress that went to her knees with black lace at the waist and black strappy heels.

As expected, Natsu went straight to the buffet counter and Gray was promptly surrounded by girls wanting to dance with him. Guilt washed over Lucy when she went over to a handsome man and pointed Erza out to him, hoping that he would flirt with her. She then proceeded to occupy Natsu by whisking him away to dance with her, feeling awful at sight of Erza's expression.

"Hello, my name is Hibiki Lates. You look simply exquisite tonight, might I ask your name?" Erza glanced away from Lucy and Natsu to see a slim young man with strawberry blonde hair and long eyelashes. Blinking, she curtly responded "Erza."

"Will you join me for a dance, Erza?" Erza saw that Lucy was now even closer to Natsu and giggling, her cheeks slightly pink. Jealousy surged through her and she smiled at Hibiki, "Sure." Wrapping his arm around her waist, Hibiki drew her tight against his chest and watched as she grew flustered at their proximity.

Meanwhile, Natsu was getting annoyed at how long Lucy stayed with him, wanting to be with Erza. He turned his head to see her dancing with some other guy, a ridiculously hot one who held her less than a centimeter away. Furious, he was about to storm over when Lucy held him back and whispered in his ear. "Natsu, let's make her jealous. You don't want Erza to be intrigued by him, do you? If we start to get all mushy then she will be too busy paying attention to us."

"You're right, I don't want her to be intrigued. But unlike you, I'm not a bitch who fights dirty and sneaky." Leaving her behind, Natsu pushed the guy away from Erza and possessively took her hand. "That's my girlfriend you're dancing with, jackass." Relieved and elated, she placed her other hand on his shoulder and the two happily waltzed off together.

Lucy was sitting at the bar to get a drink when her phone buzzed with a new text. Reading it, she nearly spat out her martini.

**To: Lucy Heartfilia**

**From: Unknown Sender**

**Tsk tsk, scum. And here I thought you had a good idea. Richard and your daddy are currently in a private room discussing his hold on the company, remember that he has the ability to stall for hours until I give him orders. Make some progress or the first to go will be that hideous angel on your mother's tombstone. Oh and this text will be deleted in approximately 15 seconds, have fun!**

**XOXO Boy who will shred everything you care about into pieces before your eyes **

Her hands shook while she put her phone away, knowing that she would have to step up her game. Holding her breath to make her face red, Lucy tried her best to walk like a drunkard, swaying and stumbling over her own feet. She threw herself onto Natsu and held him in a death grip, shoving Erza away best she could. "NATSUUUUUU tickle me like you did last weekend…."

With a hiccup, Lucy clumsily wrapped her whole body around him, nuzzling his neck. Needless to say, the boy was freaked out. "What are you doing, Luce?! Get off me, you're drunk and you don't know what you're saying!"

"Yes, Natsu. What is she saying? Did you two do something that I should know about?" A menacing glare came from Erza, who was flickering between giving him a good pounding or running away in tears. "Erzaaaa, Natsuuu didn't tell you? We had sooo much fuuunnnn you should have joined us…but that would make me a lesbian…" Lucy was ashamed and disgusted by her own actions, she knew she could not keep this up without letting her act slip so she promptly pretended to collapse.

Not able to produce any words, Erza chose the latter and darted outside onto the deck, clenching the railing with her fists and letting her tears fall into the ocean below. Natsu didn't seem like the kind of person who would cheat, but then again, Jellal didn't seem like the abusive type and Lucy was extremely pretty. The cold, wintery air swirled and rose goose bumps on her exposed skin, but she didn't care.

Natsu desperately wanted to chase after her, but Lucy was clinging to him like dead weight and he couldn't just leave one of his friends lying on the floor. Tossing her on his back, Natsu carried her over to Gray and dumped her body on him. Ignoring his protests and yells, he took off to the deck in search of Erza.

'God, the air is frigid out here.' When he reached her, Natsu stripped off his jacket and attempted to warm her up. "Get away from me!" She threw it on the ground and ran as quickly as her legs could carry her, cursing her heels. "Erza!" Damn that girl was fast, Natsu had a difficult time catching up to her and cornered her at the bow of the boat, panting and sweating.

"Listen to me, Erza. Nothing happened between Lucy and I, nothing."

"Am I supposed to believe that a DRUNK girl who is our FRIEND lied like that?"

"…"

"Just go and let me be."

"I don't know what got into Lucy but please believe me when I say that I would never cheat on you. Please!" Natsu descended to his knees, bowing down as low as he could.

"S-Stand up…"

"Please believe me!"

"Why?"

"Because…"

"I'm leaving." Fighting tears, Erza turned around and commenced striding away from him.

"I LOVE YOU!" She stopped in her tracks, not sure of what she had just heard. She heard footsteps and felt a warm hug from behind, knees going weak at his embrace. "I love you, Erza. I have for a while now."

"I…I love you back, Natsu. And I'll believe you in that you didn't hook up with Lucy." Rotating to face him, Erza gave Natsu a long kiss. A sizzling, melting feeling spread in her chest as their lips collided; it was so soft and tender in contrast to his normally rough personality.

Slipping out his tongue, Natsu silently requested entrance which Erza gladly permitted. Their tongues clashed and fought in a heated battle, the temperature between the two intensifying drastically. The taste of strawberry and something unique filled his mouth, Natsu never knew that kissing someone could be so sweet. She took fistfuls of his pink hair, drawing him closer while Natsu tightened his hold on her.

The moment lasted for ages until they ran out of air, reluctantly breaking apart with a thin strand of saliva connecting their lips. As they caught their breath, Erza stared into his onyx orbs to find that Natsu's irises were actually a deep green color. Natsu lightly stroked her scarlet hair, recalling how he had wanted to do something like this since the first day they met.

"Never leave me, Natsu."

"Like hell I would." Their moment was cut short by a sudden jerk as the floor violently shook then returned to normal. "What the hell?!" Natsu's sharp nose caught a whiff of fire and smoke in the direction on the ship's engine room. 'Someone might be trying to blow up the boat, it's a crazy thing to just assume but I can't risk Erza or Gray and Lucy's safety.'

He grasped her hand and rushed into the ballroom where Gray was talking to an awake and alert Lucy, the other guests seemed to be unaffected by the movement. "Did you guys feel that? I smell flames coming from the engine room, I don't think it's safe here. Let's leave."

"Hold on, the boat could have just hit some barrels or something and the engine room is supposed to be powered by flammable material, the crew is probably already fixing the problem. The party is fun, I don't want to go yet." Gray was surprised that Natsu was actually being cautious and playing it safe, he was usually the opposite.

"I agree with Natsu." Lucy knew that Jellal was watching them, and she was sure that this was no coincidence. "It's getting late anyways and the boat should dock soon, we can go do something else for the rest of the night. Please? I-I'm…I don't feel that good, I…drank too much."

Erza frowned. "Definitely too much, come on Gray, we're leaving." Grumbling, Gray followed the three to the exit, which was guarded by two men in sunglasses.

"Is something wrong?" one of the security guards asked.

"Um yeah, it's late and we wish to leave."

"Sorry, no one can leave."

"What, why?!" Natsu was beginning to get suspicious, the boat was safely docked so there was no danger.

"That is our orders."

"Orders by who?"

"Our captain." Erza was doubtful as well, what kind of ship captain would forbid people from leaving? "I want to talk to him, what does your captain look like?"

The men sighed at their persistence. "He's a really blocky fellow, you can't miss him." 'Blocky?' She looked over to Natsu who was apparently thinking the same thing. Raising his hand, Natsu swiped their wireless Bluetooth head sets and took off. "Get back her you little brat!" As they chased after him, Natsu motioned for everyone to leave.

Tossing the head sets in the other direction, he hastily leapt out of the ship and next to the others right as it exploded. He and Gray threw themselves over the girls to shield them from the flying pieces of debris, Gray cringed when a sharp piece of metal sliced into his arm. As the flames died down, the splintered pieces of boat sunk into the water and people who survived began swimming to the dock.

"Is everyone alright?" Natsu and the others carefully stood up, shaken by what had occurred. "Gray, your arm!" Alarmed, Lucy tried to examine it. "It's nothing, just a scratch." "It doesn't look like one."

The police soon arrived and sent people to the hospital to be treated for wounds, shock, and hypothermia. Noticing that they were the only dry ones, a police officer came up to question them.

"May I ask what happened?"

Natsu saw that his friends looked traumatized and stepped forward to do all the speaking. "The boat violently shook for a second then stopped, we were sort of scared and tired from the partying so we decided to go. It exploded right after we got off, one of my friends was hurt." He gestured to Gray, leaving out the part about the guards and Wally.

"Thank you, we'll get him treated. The rest of you go home." A paramedic came by and led Gray over to the van, getting out a first aid kit and stitches. Natsu, concerned, walked both Erza and Lucy to their houses before heading back to his own.

"Thank you, Natsu. And I'm sorry about anything I might have done while I was drunk, I don't hold alcohol very well."

"Nah, it's fine Luce. You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks for walking me back. It was very gentlemanly of you, Erza's lucky to have you. Good night."

"Night." Getting home and an earful from Makarov about worrying him, all Natsu wanted to do now was eat his way through all the groceries gramps had bought (the buffet at the yacht only had fancy food with tiny serving sizes) and pass out on his bed. 'That was the longest fucking day I've ever had.'

* * *

More infuriated than he had ever been, Jellal whipped out his phone and fiercely dialed Lucy's number, cracking a smile at how frightened her voice sounded.

"H-Hello?"

"You failed. No, you did more than fail. You were not only unsuccessful in destroying their relationship, but you strengthened it and helped them escape my explosion. Lucky for you Richard left accomplishing nothing before I could instruct him to do anything. My patience has been stretched thin, don't think you can get away with manipulating ME. You have one more chance. But just to show you that I'm not someone you can push around, why don't you go see if your daddy is okay?"

Hanging up, Lucy dashed over to her father's wing of the mansion and screamed. Jude Heartfilia's body was surrounded by their servants and she could hear sirens in the distance. "Lucy-san, your father was found unconscious by house-keeping this morning. He still has a pulse and we called 911." The maid went to Lucy and comforted her while she sobbed, patting her back.

Lucy watched as he was strapped onto a gurney and loaded into the ambulance, an oxygen mask over his face. 'Please be okay, Otou-san.'

* * *

Bonus Chapter: The Pill

The next day, Erza awoke feeling worse than she had in years. She was fatigued and lethargic, her throat hurt, and her body was scorching yet shivering at the same time. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' Forcing herself out of bed, she trudged over to the living room and inwardly moaned when the doorbell rang, she just wanted to curl up and sleep for an eternity.

Opening the door, she saw Natsu and let him in. "What are you doing here?"

Taken back by how weak she sounded, Natsu replied "I was just checking to see how you were. Are you alright? You don't look that good."

"I'm just tired, do you want something to drink?" Not believing her, he walked up and placed a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up, what are you doing walking around out of bed?!"

"Well you did ring the doorb-" Natsu lifted her up and carried her over to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed and tucking her in. "What are you doing?" Erotic thoughts of Natsu jumping on top of her filled her mind and Erza's face got even redder.

"You need to stay in bed, of course. Haven't you ever been sick before?"

"I've heard about it."

"Shit, you probably got sick from standing out in the cold at the party. Stay here, I'll make you some soup."

"Soup? In the morning?" Confused, Erza heard cabinets opening and some banging in the kitchen. She had never been ill before in her life, this was an entirely new experience for her. After around ten minutes, Natsu returned holding a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of water. "Now open your mouth, I'll feed you."

"But I'm not hungry."

"Come one, this will make you feel better."

"No seriously, I think I'm going to puke." Throwing back the covers, Erza rushed to the bathroom and retched in the toilet as quietly as she could. Holding her stomach, she shakily stood up and rinsed out her mouth with some mouthwash. Embarrassed, she returned to the bed and sat down. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"This is worse than I thought, you have the flu. Don't worry, there's a pharmacy around the corner and I can buy you some medicine."

"You needn't go to the trouble."

"Don't be silly, I want to help you get well." Before she could protest, Natsu bounded out the door and dashed back within minutes with a small, white paper bag.

"That was fast."

"I didn't want to keep you waiting." Taking out a bottle, he unscrewed the cap and poured out a pink pill. "Now all you have to do is swallow this with some water."

"No."

"W-What?"

"That pill is the size of Lucy's house."

"But you need to take it to get better!"

"My own immune system will do the job just fine."

"Come on, please? Are you scared?"

"…" Natsu promptly began to chuckle, the strong and courageous Erza Scarlet was afraid of a pill. Cheeks flaming even harder, she whacked him on the head. "Don't laugh!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. What if I took the pill too?"

"You would do that?"

"Yeah!"

"O-Okay, but you first!" Erza watched in amazement as he popped the pill in his mouth and gulped down some water like it was nothing. "There, easy! I'll change the water." Exiting the room, Natsu spat out the pill from under his tongue then refilled the cup, it did rival Lucy's house and there was no need for him to take it.

She stared at the large, circular disk in her hand. If Natsu could do it, she could too. Cringing at the nauseating flavor that was supposedly "grape", she tipped the glass of water in and swallowed. At first, she was terrified that the pill would stick and choke her, but it flowed smoothly down her esophagus with the water and she was flooded with relief.

"Now was that so hard?" Who was Natsu kidding, HE didn't even have the guts to try it and he had been sick before.

"Yes, it was excruciating and I hope I never have to eat one ever again."

"That's too bad because you're supposed to take it twice a day until you recover."

"Shit." A wave of dizziness washed over and Erza felt herself falling back when Natsu hurriedly caught her and gently laid her back down in bed. "Now go take a nap and when you wake up, I'll be here to make sure to take the pill again!"

"Sometimes your devotion can be annoying, you know?"

"Ha ha, yeah. Now go to sleep, my warrior princess."


	10. Rising Action

**A/N: I've decided to wrap up the story and start on the sequel, but it certainly isn't going to be a short 300 word wrap up, at least two chapters. This was supposed to be posted days ago but for some reason, Error Message 1 kept popping up when I tried to, thanks a lot fanfiction. **

**Sorry if there is too much Lucy and not enough Erza but I wanted to wrap up what happened to her. And sorry if I keep painting Cana as a drunkard, it's a failed attempt at comedy… Lots of Natsu next chapter, promise, sorry for a lack of Natza moments! God I sound like Aries, I just have low self confidence in this stuff. Believe it or not I try really hard to make sure everything is spelled right, punctuated, not too many words repeated, even scientifically accurate. I seriously did research on amnesia and strokes. As you may or may not have noticed, I like to pull quotes from the actual show, especially for Jellal's dialogue or for flashbacks of Lisanna because I want it to correspond with the show since technically it's "alternate universe".**

**I always hated it when books or fanfictions end without tying up all the loose ends and leaving questions unanswered, so I will try my best to write a good climax followed by a conclusion that really finishes the story. Anyways, enough of my blabber and on with the story.**

* * *

"_Mr. Heartfilia appears to have suffered a cerebrovascular accident, not unlikely considering his age and how overworked he was. The ischemia was caused by a sudden thrombosis in a major blood vessel, affecting large portions of the brain. Permanent neurological damage is certain and there is a 50 percent chance of survival given the circumstances, I'm very sorry."_

An electrocardiogram near his bedside showed a slow, but steady heartbeat. Multiple tubes snaked around his body, which was confined in a private room on the fourth floor of the hospital. It was 3pm, Lucy had sat unmoving in the chair for over six hours. Not eating anything or talking to anyone, just sitting.

Fear provoked a small outburst from her this morning at the sight of him, but now there was nothing. A terrifying calmness consumed her, no emotion or tears. She didn't exactly have the best relationship with her father, it was purely business with no affection. Yet here he was, wavering on death's doorstep, she didn't feel anything but found that she couldn't leave.

Love… it was an experience that had now faded into a faint memory. Parental love died with her mother and young Lucy soon learned that she wasn't going to receive any from her father.

***Flashback ***

"Happy Birthday, Lucy!" The yard was beautifully decorated, Layla and Jude handed Lucy a present with smiles on their faces.

"A doll? Thank you, Mama and Papa! I love it! She can be my little sister!" Giggling in glee, she hugged her doll to her chest and spun in a circle, already thinking of all the fun things they could do. Maybe she could make it some clothes with paper.

"What should I name her? Gonzales?"

Layla chuckled. "I think you should choose a cuter name." It was decided that the doll be named Michelle, and a portrait of the three (four counting Michelle) was painted. That was the worst part of her day, sitting still for so long with her parents standing over her.

Still, the birthday party was a huge success and Lucy could not have been happier. Shortly after, unfortunately, Layla passed away. Devastated, Lucy never played with Michelle again and the doll was left in the attic to gather dust along with the portrait. The day of the funeral was also the last day Jude showed her any care.

One Year Later

Eleven year old Lucy fondly cradled a rice ball she had made herself as she skipped down the hallway into her father's study. It was her birthday but he didn't remember, hopefully her gift would remind him. Opening the door, she happily placed it on his desk, his reaction was highly unexpected.

"HOW DARE YOU DISTURB ME?!" With a sweep of his hand he knocked it onto the floor, towering over a frightened Lucy in rage. Picking up the remains of her rice ball, she ran outside crying and sadly sat on the steps.

***Flashback End***

They had only grown more hostile and distant over time, her threats of running away becoming more and more frequent. People at school didn't know, Lucy did not want to push her troubles onto them or gain pity.

Beep…Beep…Beep…BEEEEEP. Jude's heart rate began wildly palpitating for a few seconds before falling flat. The expression on Lucy's face remained stoic while doctors and nurses rushed in, feeling for a pulse and shaking their heads. A large white sheet covered his body as he was wheeled out, she numbly followed and stared at the lump. There he was, the man who gave life to her, lying cold.

A few days later, his body was laid in the ground next to her mothers with a less elaborate tombstone. After Erza and the others caught wind of what happened, they all rushed over to ask if she was alright, which she did not have the answer to. Natsu came with her to visit his grave, solemnly waiting a few yards behind her as she carried a bouquet of flowers.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, Otou-san." Why wasn't she crying? Her eyes were dry the entire time, earning concerned and confused looks from her friends. Walking back home, she thought to clean up his study since she would now be the head of the company.

It was the same as always, neat with books piled high to the ceiling and some papers cluttered on his desk. Glancing around, Lucy noticed a closet door at the back of the room that she hadn't seen before. She cracked it open and peeked inside, shocked for a moment.

Seven different, carefully wrapped gift boxes all with a letter addressed to her. Seven for the seven birthdays she had after her mother died including her most recent, turning seventeen. Why did he never give them to her? Lucy lifted up what seemed to be the newest letter that wasn't attached to any presents, the smell of fresh ink still lingering ever so slightly.

_Dear Lucy,_

_Work has been extremely stressful, but I hope that I can expand the company some more despite our fragile economic state. But that aside, I am extremely sorry for not sharing any more birthdays or just time in general with you. You look so much like your mother, you have really become a wonderful young women. Lucy, remember that you are the pride of the Heartfilia Konzern and the heart of your mother and I. I just know that she would be so proud to see you now, standing tall on your own. I have not been good at showing it, but you're everything to me. _

_Did I ever tell you how we named you? Our boarding school, Love & Lucky, was missing a letter on the sign when Layla was nine months pregnant so it said 'Lucy'. We were so happy, I wanted more than anything to support you two with everything I had. I wish I could return to that time, when you and Layla were all I ever had to worry about. _

_No matter what you choose to do with your life, whether you stay with the company or not, we will love and support your decision. You aren't the little girl you once were and one day we will have to say goodbye. But know that Mama and Papa are always here watching over you just like we have been since you were a baby. I love you, Lucy._

"I love you too, Papa." Clutching the letter to her chest, Lucy sat against the wall and wept. She couldn't do it, she couldn't take over Heartfilia Konzern. She knew nothing about running a business, she was far too young and unexperienced. 'But I will buy it back one day.'

* * *

"Did…did you actually mean for her father to die?" Millianna was becoming more and more skeptical about their motives, this was definitely crossing the line.

"No. I meant to give her a good scare into behaving, but it looks like the poison worked."

"Then why was Makarov Dreyar able to live?"

"I don't know… but now we've lost our little spy. Tell Richard he can have Heartfilia Konzern, I will have to come up with something else. But if I find out that someone here assisted in that geezer's survival, I will have their head as a trophy."

Sho nervously gulped and stepped back into the shadows.

"Anyways, I am getting impatient. The police are on our ass so we need to act now, get some strong rope or handcuffs and a roll of duct tape. I am visiting Fairy High today, throw out everything we planned because I have a new idea."

"Wait…you don't mean…"

"Yes, and that fact that she thinks I am a ghost/hallucination will make my job so much easier."

* * *

Meanwhile, school started again for the students in Fiore and thanks to Natsu, Erza recovered in time to keep up her perfect attendance rate.

"Man, I can't believe that flame-brained delinquent is here before me again. Has he been late at all ever since his date with Erza?"

Although she was grieving inside, Lucy was determined to show everyone that she was fine. "That's right, Erza must be either beating the crap out of him or rewarding him."

Flabbergasted at how quickly her friend pieced things together, Erza turned away to hide her heavy blush; she told Natsu that he could grope her breast without the bra if he wasn't late to a single class for the rest of the semester. That got the boy running.

Instead of Gildarts, a wobbly old man tottered into the room and took a seat. "Hello class, I am your substitute for today. Your teacher has left an assignment for you to finish, it's homework if you don't do it now." Shortly after, he fell asleep.

Naturally, all the students except Erza completely ignored the assignment and broke into chit chat. "Come on, Erza. You don't have to do the work now, just put it off until home." Gray fought the urge to roll his eyes at how feverishly she was scribbling down answers and searching through the textbook.

"As the student council president, I must set a good example and complete it in class."

"Why do we even have a sub on our first day back?"

Mirajane came over to his desk and piped up, always informed on all the gossip. "Cana got so wasted over winter break that she accidently passed out in the middle of the living room and Gildarts thought she was dead so he spent the entire night mourning until she woke up. He's probably too traumatized to teach today and she's too hung over."

"That must suck, thinking someone you love is dead." Natsu chimed in. A pang ran through Lucy 'it sucks even more when you know that the person is dead.' She didn't say it out loud and simply changed the topic.

"I heard that all the schools in the area will be going on a joint field trip to Ryuzetsu Land, won't that be fun?"

Gray groaned. "No, it won't be because my maternal cousin Lyon will be there. He goes to Lamia High and we've been rivals longer than Natsu and I have."

Hearing a familiar name, Juvia came into the conversation. "Lyon-sama? He's your cousin?"

"Wait, you know him?!" Lucy was surprised.

"Juvia met Lyon-sama at the concert she and Gray-sama went to."

"…He was the creep who confessed his love to her at first sight." Gray added in.

"Wait you two went to a concert together?!"

Not gauging the atmosphere, Natsu spoke. "Yeah, I can't believe you went with her without inviting us!" They all dead-panned, he really didn't get these things. **(A/N: Should I write a Gruvia side of this story? Maybe a one-shot about the concert? No? Yes? Don't care?)**

"Err…change the topic please." Right now, Gray really didn't need all his female friends going gaga over his date…um…friendly appointment with Juvia.

Mirajane smirked, she knew the two were up to something behind their backs, her match making senses fully alerted. "Very well, so Lucy, how are things with Loke going?"

"Eh? Loke? Well, the dance was actually pretty fun, who knew he could be a nice guy when he isn't busy fraternizing with every woman he sees. Things got a bit…heated, but Loke confessed that he had a girl back home."

"Really?! LOKE has a girl back home?!" Damn, changing the topic was a VERY good idea, now Mirajane had info about multiple couples.

"Yup, apparently her name is Aries and she is super sweet and shy with a tendency to apologize for everything." **(A/N: I accidently wrote Aries in as a teacher…I will go change that because I like this more.)**

"Then why would he flirt with so many people?"

"I asked him the same thing and he mumbled something about Karen and not being ready."

"Karen? Another girl?"

"I don't know, but this is sort of private so I'd rather not discuss it so much."

"Ah, gomen. I can get carried away with stuff like this, let's go back to the topic of Juvia's love triangle!" A look of horror crossed Juvia's face and Gray choked on the ice water he had been drinking.

"Juvia has a love triangle?! Is Lyon-sama Juvia's rival as well?!" Sweat-dropping and inwardly laughing, Gray was both exasperated and amused by her lack of comprehension.

The now large group bantered back and forth until the bell rang, right as Erza managed to complete the assignment. "Yes, I did it! What did I miss?"

* * *

During lunch, Erza walked up the steps to the rooftop, she always spent time there with Natsu ever since their first encounter. She had a slice of strawberry cake in her bento as usual, excited to devour the savory treat. 'I wonder if Natsu remembered to meet me here, a lot of things have happened over winter break.'

"Erza." She stiffened, knowing whose voice that was. 'Keep walking, it's a hallucination. Just keep walking.'

"Erza." 'Ignore it, you're almost to the rooftop. Ignore it, Natsu will be there.'

"Erza!" Swiveling around, she got into a defensive stance and willed him to leave.

"Please come with me, I haven't been able to rest in peace. Please, it won't even take up the lunch period."

"…Will you leave me alone?"

"Yes…I just need you for one final thing and I promise to never bother you again." Sighing, she left her bento on the stairs and followed him out the door. They walked across the street, catching a train to Caelum Town south of Fiore. "Wait why are we going here? I need to go back, we can do this afterschool."

The train came to a stop and Jellal roughly pulled her out, forcing her to stay with him until they reached their destination. "Heavenly Tower Middle School? Why are you taking me here, it was condemned soon after Principal Rob's death. What are you doing?!"

Slamming open the back door, Sho and Wally came to escort Erza up to the second floor. "Sho? Wally? You…you're not dead! I saw you hurl yourself off a building, how did you… What's going on?! I…I can't believe I was so dense."

"Correct, Erza. I am not dead. Nothing was real, you foolish girl."

"Get away from me!" Drawing her leg back, she kicked Wally in the balls and swung her fist into Sho's face. "I'm not a weak little girl anymore and I will not let you push me around!" Pulling out her infamous metal pole, she charged at him with incredible speed.

"You're right. Everyone leave and get in position, this fight is between me and Titania. That's right, I did my research on you, Queen of the Fairies. You may be top dog, I mean top fairy, at your silly high school but know that you are far outmatched here."

Jellal nimbly dodged her attacks, landing a punch on her stomach. Unfazed, Erza continued her advance and successfully whacked him in the chest, pushing him back. "My my, you've gotten strong. Strong enough?" Little did Erza know, but Jellal secretly meant emotionally strong.

"Yes I did, to avoid being hurt by a person like you again! You will not overpower me like you did before!" She faked a left swing and tackled him to the ground, holding her pole to his head.

"Are you really going to end me?" Erza hesitated and in that moment, Jellal did something shocking. He sat up and gave her a hug, resting his chin on her shoulder so she could not see his face.

"That was fun, I wanted to see your strength once more. At the time, a notorious criminal named Zeref had me under his control and I was nothing more than a puppet. Everything was over before it began and there will be no freedom for me or you. I surrender my life to you, Erza."

"Jellal…" Erza slowly lowered her weapon out of pity, missing his psychotic grin and felt a sharp pinch on her neck. All of a sudden, the room spun and her body turned to jelly, collapsing onto the floor. "That was much easier than I thought it would be, looks like Erza still has a thing for me no matter how much she denies it."

Jellal carefully rolled out a two foot tall time bomb from the closet and pulled out the rope, tightly tying Erza to it and smacking duct tape over her mouth.

* * *

Natsu was disappointed, Erza forgot to come to the roof for lunch. Finishing his curry bread alone, he exited the roof and noticed a small pink bento smelling of strawberry on the stairs. 'This is Erza's, maybe she just got busy and left at the last moment.'

After school ended, Natsu was quite proud of getting to all of his classes on time and secretly celebrated touching his girlfriend's breast at the end of the year. To his bewilderment and annoyance, Simon went up to him instead of Erza. "What do you want?"

"Have you seen Erza? She wasn't in any of her classes after lunch, I'm getting worried."

"No…I found her bento on the stairs, the food inside is uneaten." Natsu noticed Gray, Lucy, and Juvia coming out of the school and to the front gate. "Hey guys, have you seen Erza?"

"No, sorry dude." Gray replied, he was sure the student council president was just studying or doing paperwork. All the color drained from Lucy's face, she could only pray that there was a simple explanation. Hands shaking, she pulled out her phone and dialed Erza's number. After three rings, a person picked up and answered "What you're thinking is true. Chop chop, scum."

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Juvia curiously watched her friend.

"I know where Erza is."


	11. Sacrifice

**A/N: Okay my life right now is hectic, being in the IB program and doing thirty thousand extra curriculars. Nearly all of this Saturday was spent at a Latin competition and working on a Science Olympiad project with my partner and today I was at a music rehearsal then a concert back to back, I also have a shitload of homework from my multiple AP classes so forgive me for the long wait. But hey, there are some authors who haven't updated in a year but still mark their story as "in progress". Well here is the next chapter and there will be another one after this as either an epilogue or a Ryuuzetsu Land special or something else (toss me some suggestions!).**

* * *

Natsu and Simon raced through the halls of Heavenly Tower Middle School. They could hear voices upstairs and footsteps coming from multiple directions but there was no one to be seen.

"ERZA! Where are you!" Impatient, Natsu cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled.

"Stop that! It isn't just Jellal and Erza, by now he has an entire gang under his control." Simon chided, though he was getting frustrated as well.

"Whatever, I'll just beat them up!"

"They're strong, Natsu."

"How do you know that?"

"Because they were once my best friends." Natsu glanced questioningly at him but Simon pursed his lips and looked away. They rounded a corner and headed up another flight of stairs when Natsu felt something circle around his ankle and pull him down.

"Gah! Oof! Ouch!" He tumbled to the floor and landed upside down.

"Natsu!" Simon went over and helped him up, "You really need to be more careful."

"That wasn't me! Something caught my ankle!" Natsu said indignantly. A soft giggle was heard and a girl with oddly shaped brown hair peeped out from the wall.

"Millianna!" Surprise flashed across Simon's face, she was the last person he'd expect to pop out at them.

"Hello, Simon. Long time no see, I bet you're here to get back Erza." Millianna said.

"Where is she?! Take us to her!" Without waiting for an answer Natsu lounged at the girl, only to be sent onto the ground by the stinging slap of a whip. Rubbing his chest he glared at her and got back up.

"Sorry but that is disclosed information. Jellal-san ordered me to stop you two." Twirling the whip in her hand, Milliannawrapped it around Natsu's arms and tightened it to the point where he couldn't move.

"Let me go! You…bitch…urgh!" He struggled and growled with no avail.

"Why are you doing this, Millianna? Erza has done nothing wrong, she is your friend!" Simon pleaded.

"No she isn't! Erza hurt Jellal-san then abandoned us!" Anger bubbled up inside Natsu at her words, "She hurt HIM?! BULLSHIT! Jellal hurt her! He's obviously lying you stupid bitch!"

"Does that honestly sound like something Erza would do?" Simon asked.

"Well…no…but Jellal-san wouldn't lie to us! I just know it!" Millianna wavered slightly and Natsu used the opening to free himself from the whip, backing away from her range. A dark shadow crossed Simon's face and he lowered his head.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice, Millianna."

"Huh?"

"The bruises, her behavior, how forceful Jellal became, how she constantly skipped school. You aren't an idiot, you saw the signs."

"But…Jellal…he was our friend…our first friend…so kind…" Millianna began to tear up and lowered her whip, suddenly appearing small and fragile.

"I know he was and I know it's hard to believe. Don't force yourself to believe Jellal's lies just because it is easier than facing the truth, you owe at least this much to Erza." Sinking to her knees, Millianna curled up like a cat and sobbed.

"Erza is on the top floor at the old art room, you know where. Be careful, Sho and Wally are still out there."

"Thank you." Simon dragged a gaping Natsu up the stairs and continued, letting a tear slip out. He heard a man running over to Millianna and shouting before growing quiet, Natsu noticed as well and perked up.

"That's Wally's voice, Millianna probably just told him everything. We shouldn't have to worry about him anymore." Simon explained. The art room was down the hall, only a short walk left until the two reached Jellal and Erza. A sharp pain sliced through Simon's cheek and he picked up a bloody card, knowing full well who their next enemy was.

"Come out, Sho. We know it's you." A tanned blond boy stepped forward with unusually sharp playing cards in his hand. Recognition spurred in Natsu's mind, yet he couldn't remember where he had seen the boy before.

"Go on ahead, Natsu. I will take care of him." Simon nodded at Natsu and proceeded to fight Sho. Natsu's heart thumped wildly with excitement and apprehension as he bounded down the hall and threw open the door.

* * *

Erza awoke feeling dizzy and nauseous with a pounding headache. She couldn't move or think clearly and her vision was blurry, faintly making out a tall figure with a mop of blue hair standing with his back turned to her. She tried to speak but her mouth would not open, as if there was something restraining it. Silence filled her ears for a moment before a sudden clamor jolted her out of a hazy daze. Two warm arms ripped something away from her body and pulled her away, her senses abruptly came back to her and she nearly wept tears of joy when she saw that it was Natsu.

"You…what are you doing here?!" Jellal swiveled around and snarled at him. Natsu gently laid Erza against the wall and tensed his muscles, "What is Erza doing tied to a bomb?"

"She is my scapegoat. I am planning to blow up the school to convince the police that I died when in reality, I have already escaped. Of course, I will need someone to blame this on so the police don't get suspicious and search for me. Having her body here will make it seem as though she destroyed it and I was simply killed as collateral damage." Jellal explained.

"YOU JACKASS!" Natsu roared and jumped at Jellal, punching him square in the jaw. Smirking, Jellal wiped his mouth and kicked Natsu in the ribs. Natsu grunted and attempted to hit him but it was clear that he was outmatched. Jellal blocked every single blow and knocked him to the ground again and again, grinning demonically.

"You weakling, I can't believe Erza would fall for someone like you." Jellal kneed the boy so hard that a fountain of blood dribbled out of his mouth. Groaning, Natsu felt the cold floor on his face and was unable to get up. He was getting beat into a pulp and he knew it, whispering "Sorry, Erza." as Jellal pounded his boot into his body without rest and producing large bruises. His bones surprisingly held up and did not break under the stress.

Shaking, Erza ripped away the tape on her mouth and shrieked. "NATSU! Stop it, Jellal! STOP! He's going to…! Natsu!" She willed herself to stand up but her limbs refused to cooperate and she collapsed back onto the floor. Warm, fresh tears silently streamed from her eyes and a helpless feeling ate away at her.

Out of the corner of his blackened eye, Natsu saw her crying. Fury flashed through him and he grabbed Jellal's leg.

"Eh? Let go of me, scum." Mildly confused, Jellal tried to shake him off.

"How dare you make Erza cry? You're going to pay for this." In a red blaze, Natsu swung Jellal off him and rose despite his injuries. His battered body ached in protest but he felt none of it as he slammed his knuckles straight into Jellal's stomach. Jellal doubled over in pain and spat blood onto the floor. He narrowed his eyes and tackled Natsu, strangling his neck.

Natsu bared his teeth and bent Jellal's arms away from him much to his shock. He head-butted him and reversed their position so he was on top, bashing in his face with a strange satisfaction. Jellal smacked him away and unsteadily stood up. He tried to elbow Natsu in the chest, but Natsu was too fast and filled with adrenaline. He moved at an inhumane speed, pushing Jellal back into the window with repeated punches.

Raising his fist one last time, Natsu shattered the windowpane into pieces, an evil idea running through his mind. _He hurt Erza and made her cry, he is nothing but an emotionless monster. It would be a favor to the world if I just ended his life right here. It will look like an accident, everyone here will be innocent. _

"Don't do it! If you kill Jellal, then you will become the monster! You're better than this!" Erza's voice pierced his ears and Natsu lowered his hand. All his energy drained away and he backed up, slumping against a table for support.

"You are nothing but an annoying piece of crap in my plans, it is time for you to leave." Jellal reached into his back pocket and whipped out a gun, pointing it at Natsu.

"NO!" With newfound strength, Erza ran to Natsu and stood protectively between them. She closed her eyes and listened to the gun shot ring out, waiting for the impact. It never came.

Simon's body fell to the floor with a dark red stain spreading across his shirt. He had rushed in at the last moment and placed himself in front of the gun without hesitation, sacrificing himself.

"SIMON!" Erza felt her knees buckle and she kneeled over him, clasping her hand over his. "It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay. Someone call an ambulance! Natsu, dial 911! Natsu, why aren't you moving? Natsu?"

"It's no use, Erza. Simon can't be saved." Natsu softly murmured.

"No…no…this isn't happening. Simon, talk to me. Simon…" Her face contorted with grief and she tightened her grip on his hand.

"Erza, you...were always...so gentle. So...gentle. I...love you..." Simon's eyes rolled back into its sockets and he stopped moving, his hand slipping from hers.

"SIMON! Come back to me! You were supposed to live a long, happy life! What happened to being truly happy again? Please, please! Simon! Simon!"

***Flashback***

"Simon!" Young Erza called out to a small boy at the playground in Rosemary Village, who immediately turned around and smiled.

"Simon!" She waved at him on their first day at middle school, running up to meet him.

"Simon!" She went to him in tears after Jellal's first outburst, allowing him to hug her while she wept.

***Flashback End***

"Simon!" Erza shouted once more, realizing that her close friend was dead.

"And that is what you call dying in vain." Jellal burst out laughing.

"Oh shut up already, you bastard." Natsu knocked him out with a single blow and promptly fainted from exhaustion and his wounds.

Beep…beep…beep…the one minute warning on the time bomb began. Erza's eyes widened with a horrified look on her face. She frantically shook Natsu, but he was out cold. The drug Jellal had injected her with still affected her, her legs turning to jelly when she tried to lift the boy onto her back. Erza went over to the bomb and pushed it, but the object was strangely heavy and would not budge; she wondered how Jellal rolled it in so easily.

Images of Principal Rob containing the explosion of the grenades went through her mind. _I don't know how to deactivate a bomb and it's far too risky anyways. Sho, Millianna, and Wally are also in the building other than Natsu and I so leaving with him isn't an option. Either the bomb is insanely heavy and Jellal is insanely strong or I am just weakened from the drug, but I can't toss it out the window. At this point there is only one thing I can think of._

* * *

Natsu groggily forced his eyes open to see Erza wrapped around a round metal ball. "What are you doing?"

"This bomb is going to explode in less than twenty seconds, but do not worry." She answered. Natsu stared for a second before it dawned on him.

"Are you fucking stupid?!" He scrambled to his feet and swept her up over his shoulder, dashing out the classroom.

"Stop, Natsu! There isn't enough time left and the others are still here!" Erza struggled but could not escape his grip. Sho was lying in the hallway beat up and sadly staring at the ground, he looked up at them and smiled.

"Thank goodness! I heard a gunshot, you're okay. Where's Simon?" Sho got up and said.

"Run. Now. Bomb." Natsu shouted and jumped down the stairs, nimbly landing on his feet. He ignored Erza's yelling and leapt down to the first floor where Millianna and Wally were situated in seconds, having plenty of experience with getting to class in the nick of time. He told them the same words and all four of them crashed through the front door just as the building exploded and erupted into flames.

Sho sat on the branch of a tree nearby with a slightly conscious Jellal, watching his old school get destroyed. After Simon defeated him, he told him everything about Jellal and Erza. Needless to say, Sho had broken down in shame and hatred at himself for everything he had done.

The police arrived within minutes and he was more than happy to hand them Jellal, watching as he was hand-cuffed and taken away. He and the others bid goodbye to Natsu and Erza, setting out to do something other than work for Jellal and enroll in a different high school to turn over a new leaf. Many tears were shed as the old friends parted.

* * *

"And then I beat the crap outta him!" Natsu sat at the lunch table with his arm around Erza telling the story to Gray, Lucy, and Juvia.

"Woah, that sounds intense." Gray replied.

"Are you guys okay?" Lucy asked anxiously.

"We're fine, don't worry." Erza said to relieve her friend's fears, "I can't believe that it's already the end of the semester. This year passed by so fast."

"That's right, the semester is over!" Natsu's face lighted up, remembering his 'prize' for not being late to a single class. He slyly grinned at a bright red Erza who apparently also remembered.

"What is it?" Juvia implored curiously.

"N-Nothing! Haha, why would you ask that? Nothing is going on. Absolutely nothing. No one is touching anyone's breast!" Erza stammered nervously.

"Eh?" Lucy raised an eyebrow at her but decided to let the matter go…for now. Natsu pulled Erza into a deep kiss and whispered, "I was on time for every class, I win. Pay up after school at my house and don't bother wearing any undergarments."

Erza blushed even harder and slapped him away.

* * *

Erza fidgeted anxiously outside Natsu's house, ringing the doorbell once. He opened the door almost immediately, as if he had been waiting there the entire time. With a devilish grin he picked her up and closed the door, tossing her on the couch and jumping on top of her. Natsu loosened his tie and leaned in close, interlocking their lips and sticking his tongue in. They heatedly made out for a full five minutes before Erza broke away panting.

"A deal is a deal, go ahead." She began unbuttoning her shirt and Natsu swallowed loudly, knowing that she wasn't wearing anything under it. It opened halfway and he felt his mouth water and his member throb at her large, perfect breasts. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on one and squeezed. Erza moaned out loud to her own surprise, not knowing how good it would feel. Natsu rubbed and stroked them harder with vigor, getting a full erection in the process.

The two sexually attracted teens grew closer in proximity, uncontrollably desiring one another. Erza's lace panties were soon soaked through and Natsu's member swelled. Alarmed, he quickly broke away.

"S-Sorry, I'm getting carried away. I'm sure you don't want to…"

"Why not?" Erza answered, "After all we've been through, how can I not trust and love you?"

Smiling, Natsu carried her to his room and they stripped off their clothes. Natsu took out a condom from his drawer and hurriedly wrapped it on. He climbed into bed with her and attached his body to hers. A wonderful feeling rocked him to the core as her clit tightly closed around him, her nails digging into his back.

Erza hissed in pain but it soon edged away and left her with unimaginable pleasure. She rocked her hips in tune with him and groaned. Pressure built up inside her and fluid flowed out all over them and the sheets. "Natsu!" She shouted as she reached her climax, wrapped her legs around him. They went at it for hours, stopping half an hour before Makarov would come home from work. She rested for a while in his arms then reluctantly left, blushing all the way home.

* * *

**A/N: I know the ending was kinda rushed and really lacking description, but honestly I squeezed this in really fast and I need to get back to homework. I know this chapter's events are really short and sucky but I will write a longer one when I get the chance. So sorry that the climax happens to be the bad chapter . Anyways, Natsu and Erza finally had sex! Next chapter most likely be Ryuuzetsu Land but I am taking suggestions. Oh and Erza is NOT going to get pregnant. Period. **


End file.
